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

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. field — farmland
  3. suit — to fit
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. suit — in cards
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. object — to protest
  9. field — a subject
  10. field — for sport
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. object — an aim
  14. shower — rain
  15. object — a thing
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. shower — to wash
  18. suit — clothes

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