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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  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. wound — an injury
  2. wound — an injury
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. stand — to bear
  5. rock — music
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. mate — a partner
  9. mate — to breed
  10. last — to go on
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. cue — a hint
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. rock — a stone
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. cue — a signal
  18. last — final
  19. mate — a friend
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. cue — for pool
  23. last — finally
  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