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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 120 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: lie · drill · snap · cap · swing · foot · pit · calf

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. swing — in golf
  3. pit — a hole
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. swing — to play on
  6. drill — army training
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. drill — a practice
  9. lie — to recline
  10. cap — a hat
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. swing — music
  13. cap — a lid
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. pit — in a race
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. foot — a measure
  20. cap — of ice
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. drill — the tool

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