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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 120 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: game · coach · ground · lean · perch · calf · can · wound

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. lean — thin
  4. ground — a position
  5. can — to be able to
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — the fish
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. game — wild animals
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. can — a tin
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. can — a tin
  16. game — a match
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wound — an injury
  21. lean — to bend
  22. ground — the earth
  23. ground — crushed
  24. calf — of the leg

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