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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: stem · sharp · leaves · pound · coach · calf · mate · hand

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. stem — to come from
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. sharp — clever
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. mate — a partner
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. hand — in cards
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. pound — a weight
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. hand — help
  23. mate — to breed
  24. mate — a friend

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