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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. drill — army training
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. ball — a great time
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. tube — a container
  12. swing — music
  13. swing — in golf
  14. drill — the tool
  15. dip — to sink
  16. tube — the underground
  17. swing — to play on
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. band — a ring
  21. drill — a practice
  22. pass — a permit
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. band — a music group

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