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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: stick · roll · stand · coach · present · kick · calf · hand

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. hand — help
  5. present — there
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. stand — to bear
  8. roll — a list
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. roll — a cake
  14. hand — in cards
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. present — the time now
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. present — a gift
  22. kick — in football
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. stand — on your feet

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