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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: cell · calf · bay · coach · press · bark

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. press — newspapers
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. cell — in biology
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. press — to push
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. press — a publisher
  13. cell — a phone
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. bark — to shout

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