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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. season — in sport
  5. kick — in football
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. wound — an injury
  10. pop — soda
  11. bear — the animal
  12. pop — music
  13. kid — to tease
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. wound — an injury
  17. season — of the year
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. pop — to visit
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. bear — the animal
  24. coach — a trainer

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