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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. fork — in a road
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. swing — to play on
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. swing — in golf
  13. mug — a cup
  14. swing — music
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. snap — to click
  18. bulb — for light
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. mug — to rob
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. bulb — for light
  23. mug — a face
  24. fork — a garden tool

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