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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 116 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 have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. mine — for digging
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. craft — boats
  11. craft — a skill
  12. mark — a grade
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. prune — to trim
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. mark — a trace
  20. prune — to trim
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. bowl — a football final

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