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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. spring — the season
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. kick — in football
  13. spring — of water
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. pitch — completely
  16. lean — thin
  17. spring — a coil
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. lean — to bend
  24. pitch — a sports field

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