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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. mate — a friend
  3. spell — magic
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. mate — a partner
  6. bulb — for light
  7. mate — to breed
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. bulb — for light
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. cap — a hat
  12. cap — a lid
  13. wake — a trail
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. march — the month
  16. spell — letters
  17. march — music
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. cap — of ice
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. spell — a short time
  24. march — the month

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