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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 had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. wake — a trail
  5. fine — high quality
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. fine — all right
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. stem — to come from
  21. drill — army training
  22. drill — the tool
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. fan — to cool the air

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