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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bay · scale · drill · cap · mine · rush · deal · calf

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. cap — a hat
  3. drill — army training
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. scale — size or range
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. drill — a practice
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. drill — the tool
  13. rush — hurry
  14. scale — in music
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. deal — to handle
  21. cap — of ice
  22. mine — for digging
  23. cap — a lid
  24. mine — belonging to me

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