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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. bass — low music
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. swing — to play on
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. firm — a company
  10. shower — rain
  11. drill — the tool
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. firm — decided
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. drill — a practice
  17. shower — to wash
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. bass — the fish
  21. swing — music
  22. firm — steady
  23. swing — in golf
  24. bass — the instrument

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