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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
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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: coach · leaves · clip · dip · ground · wave · calf · game

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. dip — to sink
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. ground — a position
  12. clip — for paper
  13. game — a match
  14. clip — a video
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. clip — to cut
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. ground — crushed
  22. ground — the earth
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. game — wild animals

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