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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. drill — a practice
  4. cap — a lid
  5. swing — in golf
  6. cap — of ice
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. wake — a trail
  9. drill — army training
  10. last — finally
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. swing — music
  13. cap — a hat
  14. pitch — completely
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. swing — to play on
  17. suit — to fit
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. drill — the tool
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. suit — clothes
  22. last — to go on
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. suit — in cards

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