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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. rest — a break
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. swing — to play on
  5. club — a group
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. rush — hurry
  9. swing — in golf
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. swing — music
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. club — for golf
  15. club — for dancing
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. drill — army training
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. rest — what's left
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. drill — the tool
  24. sharp — clever

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