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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. kid — child
  3. stand — to bear
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. kid — to tease
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. snap — to click
  15. deal — to handle
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. pitcher — a jug

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