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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: rush · ball · craft · lean · coach · mate · branch · calf

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. craft — a skill
  5. craft — boats
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. lean — to bend
  9. branch — a division
  10. mate — a partner
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. ball — a great time
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. ball — a dance
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. lean — thin
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. mate — a friend
  23. rush — hurry
  24. branch — of a bank

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