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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. fine — high quality
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. mark — a grade
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. pit — a hole
  11. lie — to recline
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. mark — a trace
  14. pit — in a race
  15. fine — all right
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. pit — a fruit stone

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