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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: calf · rush · cabinet · coach · land · wind · hide · pitcher

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  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. calf — a young animal
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. wind — moving air
  4. land — a country
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. rush — hurry
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. land — ground
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. land — to come down
  21. wind — moving air
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  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