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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: vault · coach · fall · charge · calf · branch · mate · hand

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. mate — a friend
  5. fall — the season
  6. fall — to drop
  7. charge — electricity
  8. branch — a division
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. hand — help
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. mate — a partner
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. vault — a safe
  17. fall — to drop
  18. hand — in cards
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. charge — a price
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. mate — to breed
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. charge — in control

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