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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 120 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
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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: spell · cabinet · coach · prune · straw · calf · present · mug

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. present — there
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. mug — to rob
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. mug — a cup
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. mug — a face
  16. present — the time now
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. spell — a short time
  19. prune — to trim
  20. spell — magic
  21. spell — letters
  22. prune — to trim
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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