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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 120 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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. track — a song
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. kick — in football
  7. dip — to sink
  8. drill — the tool
  9. track — to keep track
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. swing — in golf
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. bark — to shout
  17. swing — to play on
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. track — a path
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. drill — army training
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. swing — music

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