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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 120 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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. bear — the animal
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. kid — child
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. charge — a price
  14. charge — electricity
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. charge — in control
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. bark — to shout
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. kid — to tease
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. bear — the 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