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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. fall — to drop
  3. chip — for betting
  4. spring — a coil
  5. roll — a cake
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. fall — to drop
  11. roll — a list
  12. chip — to eat
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. spring — the season
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. plane — a tool
  18. fall — the season
  19. season — in sport
  20. season — of the year
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. spring — of water
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. season — to add flavour

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