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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 giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. rock — music
  3. drill — a practice
  4. last — finally
  5. last — final
  6. face — part of the head
  7. drill — army training
  8. swing — music
  9. face — to confront
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. rock — a stone
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. face — to point toward
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. stand — to bear
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. swing — to play on
  22. drill — the tool
  23. swing — in golf
  24. last — to go on

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