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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 120 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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. cue — a signal
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. pop — to visit
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. rest — a break
  9. rest — what's left
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. vault — a safe
  13. cue — a hint
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. cue — for pool
  16. rest — what's left
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. pop — soda
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. bore — to drill
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. bore — to tire
  24. pop — 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