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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. spring — a coil
  4. march — music
  5. kick — in football
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. spring — the season
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. firm — decided
  10. mine — for digging
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. march — the month
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. firm — steady
  19. firm — a company
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. march — the month
  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