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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: clip · coach · rest · dip · leaves · bulb · calf · season

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bulb — for light
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. rest — what's left
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. clip — for paper
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. clip — a video
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. bulb — for light
  18. dip — to sink
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — a break
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. clip — to cut
  24. season — of the year

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