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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: calf · kick · coach · saw · dip · club · last · bear

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. bear — the animal
  4. club — for dancing
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. kick — in football
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. club — a group
  14. club — for golf
  15. saw — the tool
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. last — to go on
  21. last — finally
  22. saw — the tool
  23. bear — the animal
  24. dip — to sink

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