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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. swing — in golf
  4. firm — decided
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. roll — a cake
  8. drill — a practice
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. swing — music
  11. roll — a list
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. snap — to click
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. swing — to play on
  18. drill — the tool
  19. drill — army training
  20. branch — a division
  21. pitch — completely
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. firm — a company
  24. firm — steady

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