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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. cap — a lid
  5. cap — of ice
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. track — to keep track
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. lean — to bend
  10. track — a path
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. wind — moving air
  13. track — a song
  14. lean — thin
  15. cap — a hat
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. wind — moving air
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. calf — a young animal

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