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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: dip · board · cell · drill · ball · bat · calf · bear

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. dip — to sink
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — the animal
  8. ball — a great time
  9. drill — army training
  10. cell — in biology
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. cell — a phone
  13. ball — a dance
  14. board — to get on
  15. drill — a practice
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. board — a committee
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. bat — the animal
  23. drill — the tool
  24. bat — for baseball

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