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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: calf · drill · kick · field · bulb · snap · face · suit

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  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. drill — army training
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. field — a subject
  4. snap — to click
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. face — to point toward
  7. drill — a practice
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. field — farmland
  10. face — part of the head
  11. bulb — for light
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. drill — the tool
  14. field — for sport
  15. suit — clothes
  16. kick — in football
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. bulb — for light
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. face — to confront
  22. suit — in cards
  23. suit — to fit
  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