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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. wound — an injury
  8. fall — to drop
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. fall — to drop
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. fall — the season
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. staff — employees
  18. staff — a stick

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