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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. pass — a permit
  3. track — a path
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. saw — the tool
  6. track — a song
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. bulb — for light
  11. track — to keep track
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. bulb — for light
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. drill — a practice
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. drill — the tool
  24. saw — 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