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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. cue — a hint
  3. band — a music group
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. band — a ring
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. sharp — clever
  9. mate — a partner
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. mate — a friend
  13. can — a tin
  14. cue — for pool
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. cue — a signal
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. bulb — for light
  21. can — to be able to
  22. mate — to breed
  23. bulb — for light
  24. can — a tin

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