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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 112 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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. swing — in golf
  4. cap — a lid
  5. march — the month
  6. cap — of ice
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. swing — music
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. drill — the tool
  11. march — music
  12. bound — obliged
  13. pit — a hole
  14. lie — to recline
  15. cap — a hat
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. pit — in a race
  18. bound — tied together
  19. swing — to play on
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bound — certain
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. march — the month
  24. drill — army training

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