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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 116 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: drill · swing · last · calf · mine · club · tube · craft

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. drill — the tool
  4. drill — army training
  5. last — final
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. club — a group
  8. drill — a practice
  9. craft — boats
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. tube — a container
  12. last — finally
  13. swing — to play on
  14. mine — for digging
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. swing — music
  17. last — to go on
  18. craft — a skill
  19. club — for golf
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. tube — the underground
  22. club — for dancing
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. mine — an explosive

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