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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. mark — a trace
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. present — the time now
  8. present — there
  9. pound — a weight
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. mark — a grade
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. drill — a practice
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. drill — army training
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. present — a gift
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. drill — the tool
  24. calf — a young animal

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