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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: calf · pound · court · fan · squash · coach · hide · drill

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. squash — to crush
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. pound — a weight
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. squash — the sport
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. court — of a king
  14. drill — army training
  15. court — for sport
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. drill — the tool
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. drill — a practice
  23. court — of law
  24. fan — a supporter

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