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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 120 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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. mine — for digging
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. swing — in golf
  5. content — the amount
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. swing — to play on
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. rush — hurry
  14. craft — a skill
  15. swing — music
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. content — happy
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. drill — a practice
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. drill — the tool
  23. craft — boats
  24. temple — a place of worship

Multiple-meaning words list

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

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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