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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 · calf · bat · bear · fine · swing · rush · lean

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. bear — the animal
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. swing — music
  8. lean — thin
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. drill — a practice
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. swing — to play on
  14. fine — high quality
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. drill — army training
  17. drill — the tool
  18. fine — all right
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. bear — the animal
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. swing — in golf
  23. lean — to bend
  24. bat — the 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