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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. hand — help
  3. bass — low music
  4. cap — of ice
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. bear — the animal
  7. hand — in cards
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. last — final
  11. bear — the animal
  12. last — to go on
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. cap — a lid
  18. present — the time now
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. last — finally
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. present — there
  23. cap — a hat
  24. bass — the fish

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