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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 giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  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. calf — a young animal
  2. mine — for digging
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. board — to get on
  6. spring — a coil
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. rock — music
  9. pit — a hole
  10. rock — a stone
  11. spring — the season
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. spring — of water
  14. suit — to fit
  15. suit — in cards
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. board — a committee
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. suit — clothes
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. pit — in a race
  23. calf — of the leg
  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