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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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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: object · calf · coach · branch · foot · cell · mate · lash

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. mate — to breed
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. mate — a partner
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. object — to protest
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. branch — a division
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. foot — a measure
  14. mate — a friend
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. cell — a phone
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. object — a thing
  21. object — an aim
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. cell — in biology

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