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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. bound — certain
  3. land — ground
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. land — a country
  6. kid — to tease
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. kid — child
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. drill — the tool
  11. land — to come down
  12. squash — to crush
  13. spell — magic
  14. vault — a safe
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. bound — tied together
  17. spell — a short time
  18. bound — obliged
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. drill — a practice
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. spell — letters
  24. squash — the sport

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