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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: drill · last · race · fall · bay · pitch · snap · calf

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fall — to drop
  6. last — finally
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. drill — the tool
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. race — humankind
  13. race — the arms race
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. drill — army training
  16. fall — the season
  17. snap — to click
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. last — to go on
  21. last — final
  22. race — a contest
  23. drill — a practice
  24. calf — a young animal

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