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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 116 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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. cue — for pool
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. kid — to tease
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. drill — a practice
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. swing — in golf
  12. drill — the tool
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. cue — a signal
  15. swing — music
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. kid — child
  23. swing — to play on
  24. cue — a hint

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