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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. bound — tied together
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. drill — the tool
  6. bound — certain
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. pass — a permit
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bound — obliged
  13. perch — the fish
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. pit — in a race
  18. content — the amount
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. pit — a hole
  21. drill — army training
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. content — happy
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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