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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. drill — a practice
  5. drill — army training
  6. content — the amount
  7. lie — to recline
  8. bore — to drill
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. swing — music
  11. content — happy
  12. swing — in golf
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bore — to tire
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. drill — the tool
  21. wind — moving air
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. wind — moving air

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