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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

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

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. club — for dancing
  4. drill — the tool
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. can — a tin
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. squash — the sport
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. squash — to crush
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. club — a group
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. can — to be able to
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. can — a tin
  19. club — for golf
  20. wind — moving air
  21. dip — to sink
  22. bat — the animal
  23. wind — moving air
  24. drill — army training

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