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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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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: coach · spell · key · calf · deal · jam · wave · kid

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. spell — a short time
  5. kid — to tease
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. deal — to handle
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. key — for a lock
  10. spell — magic
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. key — in music
  14. kid — child
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. spell — letters
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. wave — with your hand

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