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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. cap — a lid
  6. kid — child
  7. kid — to tease
  8. cap — a hat
  9. drill — a practice
  10. suit — clothes
  11. drill — the tool
  12. suit — to fit
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. mark — a grade
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. mark — a trace
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. suit — in cards
  21. cap — of ice
  22. march — the month
  23. march — music
  24. march — the month

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