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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. drill — army training
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. land — to come down
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. drill — a practice
  10. drill — the tool
  11. bulb — for light
  12. pit — in a race
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. pit — a hole
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. pound — a weight
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. land — a country
  20. land — ground
  21. bulb — for light
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. bulb — of a plant

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