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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. swing — in golf
  4. land — to come down
  5. bore — to drill
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. last — to go on
  8. fall — to drop
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. last — finally
  11. fall — the season
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. land — a country
  15. last — final
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bore — to tire
  19. land — ground
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. swing — music
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. fall — to drop

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