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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. shower — rain
  3. mark — a grade
  4. object — to protest
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. drill — a practice
  7. mark — a trace
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. cue — for pool
  10. object — a thing
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. shower — to wash
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. cue — a signal
  15. drill — the tool
  16. season — of the year
  17. bear — the animal
  18. season — in sport
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. cue — a hint
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. object — an aim
  24. bear — the 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