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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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: game · net · calf · fork · wake · hide · track · coach

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. wake — a trail
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. game — a match
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. net — in sport
  11. track — a song
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. game — wild animals
  16. track — a path
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. fork — in a road
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. track — to keep track
  21. net — after costs
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. net — for catching
  24. wake — before a funeral

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