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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.

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: bat · craft · wake · pound · coach · calf · mark · rash

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  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. calf — a young animal
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. craft — a skill
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. mark — a grade
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. craft — boats
  11. rash — a series
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. rash — hasty
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. pound — a weight
  16. mark — a trace
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. bat — the animal
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. wake — a trail
  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