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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. staff — a stick
  3. staff — employees
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. last — final
  7. spring — a coil
  8. spring — the season
  9. track — to keep track
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bass — low music
  13. band — a ring
  14. last — to go on
  15. band — a music group
  16. last — finally
  17. staff — employees
  18. track — a path
  19. spring — of water
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. bass — the fish
  24. track — a song

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