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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. bear — the animal
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. spell — letters
  5. drill — the tool
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. spell — magic
  8. lie — to recline
  9. bank — for money
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. march — music
  12. drill — a practice
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. march — the month
  16. spell — a short time
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. bank — of a river
  21. bank — for money
  22. bear — the animal
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. march — the month

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