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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. present — there
  6. present — a gift
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. staff — employees
  9. sharp — clever
  10. fine — high quality
  11. present — the time now
  12. deal — to handle
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. drill — a practice
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. fine — all right
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. staff — a stick
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. kick — in football
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. staff — employees
  24. drill — army training

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