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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  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. coach — a trainer
  2. cap — a hat
  3. kick — in football
  4. band — a ring
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. bear — the animal
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. bear — the animal
  10. band — a music group
  11. pound — a weight
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. cap — a lid
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. cap — of ice
  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