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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: calf · coach · spring · squash · ground · lie · leaves · wave

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. spring — the season
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. spring — a coil
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. ground — a position
  12. squash — the sport
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — to recline
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. ground — crushed
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. spring — of water
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. ground — the earth
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. calf — a young animal

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