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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. season — of the year
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. shower — rain
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. season — in sport
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. key — the most important part
  12. shower — to wash
  13. pound — a weight
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. vault — a safe
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. key — in music
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. key — for a lock

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