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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. sharp — clever
  4. staff — a stick
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. staff — employees
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. mark — a trace
  11. spring — of water
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. mark — a grade
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. spring — a coil
  16. fork — in a road
  17. staff — employees
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. spring — the season

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