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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. bear — the animal
  5. branch — a division
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. pit — a hole
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. lean — thin
  12. game — wild animals
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. game — a match
  16. pit — in a race
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. bear — the animal
  20. lean — to bend
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. game — a kind of play

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