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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: saw · swing · calf · snap · temple · staff · drill · bass

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bass — the fish
  6. drill — army training
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. swing — to play on
  10. staff — a stick
  11. bass — low music
  12. swing — music
  13. snap — to click
  14. staff — employees
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. swing — in golf
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. saw — the tool
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. drill — the tool
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. drill — a practice
  24. staff — employees

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