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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.

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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: season · calf · wound · arm · coach · kid · craft · wave

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. craft — boats
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. season — of the year
  11. season — in sport
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. craft — a skill
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. wound — an injury
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. wound — an injury
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. kid — child
  24. calf — of the leg

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