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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bore — to drill
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. race — the arms race
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. race — humankind
  10. kick — in football
  11. bore — to tire
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. roll — a cake
  15. bass — low music
  16. roll — a list
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. bass — the fish
  22. race — a contest
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. kick — a thrill

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