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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rest · coach · wind · bay · race · calf

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. 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. wind — moving air
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — what's left
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. rest — a break
  9. race — a contest
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. wind — moving air
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. race — humankind
  17. race — the arms race
  18. 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