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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: coach · prune · file · rush · calf · rock · content · can

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. prune — to trim
  3. can — to be able to
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. content — happy
  6. rush — hurry
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. prune — to trim
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — a tin
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. file — a tool
  19. rock — a stone
  20. rock — music
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. file — a line of people
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. file — a document

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