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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: coach · bear · plane · calf · stock · rock · band · shower

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  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. band — a rubber band
  3. shower — to wash
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. plane — a tool
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. bear — the animal
  9. stock — goods
  10. bear — the animal
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. band — a music group
  15. rock — a stone
  16. rock — music
  17. stock — shares
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. shower — rain
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. band — a ring
  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