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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 124 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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. clip — for paper
  4. branch — a division
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. clip — to cut
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. swing — to play on
  12. drill — a practice
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. swing — in golf
  15. clip — a video
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. swing — music
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. rush — hurry
  21. rock — music
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. rock — a stone
  24. drill — the tool

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