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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 124 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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. land — to come down
  4. saw — the tool
  5. land — a country
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. drill — the tool
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. bass — the fish
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. land — ground
  17. stand — to bear
  18. saw — the tool
  19. drill — army training
  20. bass — low music
  21. squash — the sport
  22. drill — a practice
  23. kick — in football
  24. squash — to crush

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