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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: ruler · coach · chest · stick · can · sharp · cell · calf

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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. chest — a box
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. can — to be able to
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. cell — a phone
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. can — a tin
  15. cell — in biology
  16. chest — of your body
  17. can — a tin
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. chest — of your body
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. sharp — clever

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