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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. drill — the tool
  3. dip — to sink
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. present — there
  7. drill — a practice
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. mine — for digging
  10. drill — army training
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. suit — to fit
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. pop — to visit
  15. suit — clothes
  16. pop — soda
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. suit — in cards
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. pop — music
  21. present — a gift
  22. present — the time now
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. pound — a weight

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