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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: coach · mug · kid · ball · calf · ground · snap · leaves

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. kid — child
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. ground — crushed
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. mug — a face
  11. ball — a dance
  12. ground — the earth
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. mug — to rob
  15. ground — a position
  16. snap — to click
  17. ball — a great time
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. mug — a cup
  23. kid — to tease
  24. coach — a trainer

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