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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: object · calf · last · coach · wake · present · firm · band

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. last — finally
  5. last — to go on
  6. firm — steady
  7. present — the time now
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. present — a gift
  10. present — there
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. firm — a company
  13. object — a thing
  14. object — to protest
  15. firm — decided
  16. object — an aim
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. last — final
  19. wake — a trail
  20. band — a ring
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. band — a music group
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. calf — a young animal

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