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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: coach · hand · bowl · calf · pound · branch · date · wound

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. wound — an injury
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. wound — an injury
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. hand — help
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. hand — in cards
  20. branch — a division
  21. date — the fruit
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. pound — a weight

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