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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. spell — magic
  3. branch — a division
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. ground — crushed
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. lean — thin
  12. ground — the earth
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. lean — to bend
  18. ground — a position
  19. spell — letters
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. spell — a short time
  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