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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. mug — to rob
  3. bear — the animal
  4. mug — a face
  5. present — a gift
  6. ground — a position
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. ground — crushed
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. bear — the animal
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. wax — to grow
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. present — there
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. ground — the earth
  20. present — the time now
  21. mug — a cup
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. calf — a young animal

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