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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 · coach · fork · object · stick · shower · bear · clip

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. clip — to cut
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. bear — the animal
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. object — a thing
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. object — an aim
  13. shower — to wash
  14. clip — a video
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. object — to protest
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. shower — rain
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. fork — in a road
  21. bear — the animal
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. clip — for paper

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