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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 · root · pass · mug · season · calf · mine · band

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. mug — a face
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. season — in sport
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. band — a ring
  7. root — of a word
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. mug — to rob
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. root — the cause
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. band — a music group
  18. season — of the year
  19. pass — a permit
  20. root — of a plant
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. mine — for digging
  24. mug — a cup

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