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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · bear · coach · cabinet · file · field · wound · craft

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. wound — an injury
  3. file — a tool
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. wound — an injury
  11. file — a document
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. bear — the animal
  14. field — for sport
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. file — a line of people
  17. bear — the animal
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. field — farmland
  20. field — a subject
  21. craft — boats
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. craft — a skill

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