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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. land — a country
  3. clip — a video
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. suit — to fit
  8. clip — for paper
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. last — to go on
  11. last — finally
  12. land — ground
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. land — to come down
  15. suit — clothes
  16. shower — rain
  17. suit — in cards
  18. last — final
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. clip — to cut
  22. shower — to wash
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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