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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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. wound — an injury
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. ball — a dance
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. row — to paddle
  10. row — a line
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. snap — to click
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. drill — the tool
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. drill — a practice
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. ball — a great time
  21. mate — a partner
  22. wound — an injury
  23. mate — to breed
  24. mate — a friend

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