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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. sharp — clever
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. wind — moving air
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. stand — to bear
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. wind — moving air
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. snap — to click
  23. mark — a trace
  24. mark — a grade

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