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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 120 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: stand · hide · net · bound · lean · calf · craft · coach

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. net — in sport
  3. bound — certain
  4. net — after costs
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bound — tied together
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. stand — to bear
  15. craft — a skill
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. lean — to bend
  18. craft — boats
  19. lean — thin
  20. net — for catching
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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