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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: calf · march · swing · drill · mouse · dip · spring · vault

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. drill — the tool
  5. march — the month
  6. spring — a coil
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. swing — to play on
  9. swing — in golf
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. drill — a practice
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. spring — of water
  14. drill — army training
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. march — music
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. spring — the season
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. dip — to sink
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. swing — music
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. vault — a safe

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