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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: bay · wound · straw · drill · calf · current · race · roll

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. drill — army training
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. wound — an injury
  5. race — humankind
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. current — of water
  8. roll — a cake
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. current — electric
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. wound — an injury
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. drill — the tool
  16. race — a contest
  17. current — happening now
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. roll — a list
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. drill — a practice
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. race — the arms race

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