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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. roll — a list
  3. capital — money
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. wound — an injury
  8. roll — a cake
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rest — a break
  11. capital — a city
  12. rest — what's left
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. land — a country
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. land — to come down
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. land — ground
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. wound — an injury

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