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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. press — a publisher
  3. can — to be able to
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. pound — a weight
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. press — newspapers
  11. perch — the fish
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. can — a tin
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. drill — the tool
  16. drill — army training
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. press — to push
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. can — a tin

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