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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.

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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: bound · calf · rule · coach · lean · band · lie · craft

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  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. calf — a young animal
  2. rule — government
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. band — a ring
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. lie — to recline
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. craft — boats
  14. craft — a skill
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bound — certain
  17. rule — a law
  18. lean — to bend
  19. band — a music group
  20. lean — thin
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. bound — obliged
  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