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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.

Make a worksheet

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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. shower — rain
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. mug — a cup
  5. mug — a face
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. kick — in football
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. pitch — completely
  10. shower — to wash
  11. mug — to rob
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. kid — child
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. kid — to tease
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. shower — a meteor shower

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