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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: drill · current · snap · bay · cabinet · calf · wound · coach

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. snap — to click
  3. drill — the tool
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. drill — army training
  9. current — electric
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. wound — an injury
  16. drill — a practice
  17. current — of water
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. wound — an injury
  23. current — happening now
  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