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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: lean · coach · clip · fork · mate · calf · rash · hide

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. clip — to cut
  4. mate — a friend
  5. rash — hasty
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. lean — to bend
  9. rash — a series
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. clip — a video
  13. lean — thin
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. fork — in a road
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. clip — for paper
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. mate — a partner
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. hide — to keep secret

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