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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. stand — to bear
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. spring — the season
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. cue — a hint
  11. toast — bread
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. cue — for pool
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. spring — of water
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. hand — in cards
  20. spring — a coil
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. cue — a signal
  24. calf — of the leg

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