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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: calf · coach · bear · pop · sharp · present · kick · leaves

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. kick — in football
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. present — the time now
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. pop — soda
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. bear — the animal
  12. sharp — clever
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. bear — the animal
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. present — there
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. pop — to visit
  22. present — a gift
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. pop — music

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