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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. mark — a grade
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bass — the fish
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. hand — in cards
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. bass — low music
  14. deal — to handle
  15. hand — help
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. snap — to click
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. mark — a trace
  24. hand — part of the body

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