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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: snap · pit · game · mouse · calf · leaves · bank · drill

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. pit — a hole
  6. snap — to click
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. game — a match
  10. pit — in a race
  11. drill — army training
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. bank — of a river
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. game — wild animals
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. bank — for money
  19. drill — a practice
  20. bank — for money
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. calf — a young animal

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