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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. tube — a container
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bear — the animal
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. net — for catching
  9. staff — a stick
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. roll — a list
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. bear — the animal
  15. roll — a cake
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. staff — employees
  21. tube — the underground
  22. staff — employees
  23. net — after costs
  24. net — in sport

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