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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. rest — what's left
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. swing — music
  7. pop — to visit
  8. rest — a break
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. shower — rain
  14. swing — to play on
  15. pop — soda
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. pop — music
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. rest — what's left
  20. shower — to wash
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. swing — in golf
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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