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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: cap · key · drill · fall · calf · ground · rest · roll

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. fall — to drop
  3. rest — what's left
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. cap — of ice
  7. drill — army training
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. rest — a break
  10. ground — a position
  11. fall — the season
  12. ground — crushed
  13. cap — a lid
  14. key — for a lock
  15. rest — what's left
  16. roll — a list
  17. cap — a hat
  18. drill — a practice
  19. fall — to drop
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. roll — a cake
  22. key — in music
  23. key — the most important part
  24. ground — the earth

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