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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.

Make a worksheet

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'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. land — ground
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. land — to come down
  6. cue — for pool
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. land — a country
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. cue — a signal
  17. spell — magic
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. spell — letters
  22. spell — a short time
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. calf — of the leg

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