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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 120 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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. rush — hurry
  7. ground — a position
  8. spring — a coil
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. spring — of water
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. rock — a stone
  15. game — wild animals
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. spring — the season
  21. rock — music
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. ground — crushed
  24. game — a match

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