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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. drill — a practice
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. drill — army training
  5. fall — to drop
  6. bank — for money
  7. march — the month
  8. swing — to play on
  9. fall — to drop
  10. bank — for money
  11. swing — in golf
  12. land — a country
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. land — to come down
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. swing — music
  17. march — the month
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. march — music
  21. fall — the season
  22. bank — of a river
  23. land — ground
  24. calf — a young animal

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