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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.

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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 · snap · swing · drill · calf · tube · mouse · chair

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. swing — in golf
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. swing — to play on
  5. chair — a leader
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. snap — to click
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. tube — the underground
  12. drill — a practice
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. drill — the tool
  17. drill — army training
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. swing — music

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