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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 ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. drill — the tool
  3. drill — army training
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. club — for dancing
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. foot — a measure
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. club — for golf
  14. drill — a practice
  15. bass — low music
  16. march — the month
  17. march — the month
  18. bass — the fish
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. club — a group
  21. march — music
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. foot — the bottom

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