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

Word bank: last · rule · bay · fall · drill · tube · calf · pit

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. fall — to drop
  5. last — to go on
  6. tube — the underground
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. fall — the season
  9. rule — government
  10. fall — to drop
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. pit — in a race
  13. pit — a hole
  14. drill — the tool
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. rule — a law
  17. last — finally
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. drill — army training
  20. tube — a container
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. drill — a practice
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. last — final

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