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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. spell — magic
  5. chest — a box
  6. spell — a short time
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. chest — of your body
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. spell — letters
  11. fork — in a road
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. present — the time now
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. present — there
  16. present — a gift
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. squash — to crush
  19. chest — of your body
  20. squash — the sport
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. toast — bread

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