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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 116 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
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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: wave · mark · calf · field · coach · can · fall · straw

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. fall — the season
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. fall — to drop
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. mark — a grade
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. can — to be able to
  10. field — a subject
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. fall — to drop
  13. mark — a trace
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. can — a tin
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. can — a tin
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. field — farmland
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. coach — a trainer

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