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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. drill — army training
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. pit — a hole
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. bear — the animal
  8. rest — what's left
  9. pit — in a race
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. capital — a city
  17. capital — money
  18. drill — a practice
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. drill — the tool
  22. bear — the animal
  23. rest — a break
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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