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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.

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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. bear — the animal
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. hand — help
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. present — a gift
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. bear — the animal
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. present — there
  15. bass — the fish
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. hand — in cards
  18. bass — low music

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