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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: spring · cell · band · leaves · calf · coach · lean · fork

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. spring — the season
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. band — a ring
  10. fork — in a road
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. spring — of water
  13. spring — a coil
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. lean — thin
  18. band — a music group
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. cell — in biology
  22. cell — a phone
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. leaves — to go away

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