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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. cap — of ice
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. cap — a lid
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. net — in sport
  13. band — a music group
  14. band — a ring
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. net — for catching
  17. lean — to bend
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. kick — in football
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. cap — a hat
  23. lean — thin
  24. net — after costs

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