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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. cue — for pool
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. spell — magic
  8. cue — a signal
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. fork — in a road
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. pop — music
  16. pop — to visit
  17. spell — letters
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. cue — a hint
  23. pop — soda
  24. calf — of the leg

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