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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 120 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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. firm — steady
  7. race — humankind
  8. staff — a stick
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. firm — decided
  12. scale — in music
  13. staff — employees
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. scale — size or range
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. bat — the animal
  19. race — the arms race
  20. race — a contest
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. firm — a company
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. staff — employees

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