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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. pound — a weight
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. track — a path
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. track — a song
  13. can — to be able to
  14. can — a tin
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. track — to keep track
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. rash — hasty
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. can — a tin
  23. rash — a series
  24. snap — to click

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