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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: wave · pop · ground · hide · nail · net · calf · coach

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. net — in sport
  7. pop — music
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. pop — soda
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. net — after costs
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. ground — a position
  14. ground — crushed
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. pop — to visit
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. ground — the earth
  24. net — for catching

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