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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. ground — the earth
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. present — the time now
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. file — a tool
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bass — low music
  10. file — a line of people
  11. rush — hurry
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. file — a document
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. bass — the fish
  18. present — there
  19. ground — a position
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. present — a gift
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. toast — bread
  24. ground — crushed

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