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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. game — wild animals
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. mark — a grade
  10. wind — moving air
  11. spring — of water
  12. bear — the animal
  13. mark — a trace
  14. wind — moving air
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. toast — bread
  18. spring — a coil
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. spring — the season
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. wind — to turn a key
  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