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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. wound — an injury
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bear — the animal
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. spell — magic
  11. spell — letters
  12. charge — electricity
  13. game — wild animals
  14. wound — an injury
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. charge — a price
  18. spell — a short time
  19. bear — the animal
  20. charge — in control
  21. game — a match
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. bear — to put up with

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