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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: lash · nail · hide · bore · clip · roll · foot · capital

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. clip — a video
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. clip — to cut
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. foot — a measure
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. capital — a city
  17. roll — a list
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. clip — for paper
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. bore — to tire
  22. capital — money
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. bore — to drill

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com