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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mate · calf · land · cabinet · present · content · coach · mine

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. land — to come down
  3. present — a gift
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. land — a country
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. mate — a friend
  8. present — there
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. mate — a partner
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. content — happy
  15. present — the time now
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. land — ground
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. mate — to breed
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. mine — for digging
  23. content — the amount
  24. coach — a trainer

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