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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.

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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: ball · tear · calf · rule · bear · craft · coach · chest

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. ball — a dance
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. tear — from crying
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. craft — boats
  9. tear — to rip
  10. chest — a box
  11. rule — government
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. tear — from crying
  14. chest — of your body
  15. craft — a skill
  16. bear — the animal
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. ball — a great time
  19. chest — of your body
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. bear — the animal
  22. rule — a law
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. calf — a young animal

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