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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 116 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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. staff — a stick
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. hand — help
  5. mug — a face
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. staff — employees
  8. mug — a cup
  9. fine — high quality
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. staff — employees
  15. mug — to rob
  16. craft — a skill
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. pound — a weight
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. craft — boats
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. hand — in cards
  24. fine — all right

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