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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 116 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 giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. drill — a practice
  3. season — of the year
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. swing — in golf
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. bass — the fish
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. drill — the tool
  11. season — in sport
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. stand — to bear
  17. swing — music
  18. swing — to play on
  19. drill — army training
  20. bass — low music
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. wax — to grow

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