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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 did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  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. calf — a young animal
  2. mug — a cup
  3. drill — a practice
  4. mug — to rob
  5. mug — a face
  6. pit — in a race
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bear — the animal
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. drill — the tool
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. pit — a hole
  19. band — a music group
  20. bear — the animal
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. band — a ring
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  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