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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: coach · mate · calf · spring · foot · stick · bowl · deal

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. foot — a measure
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. deal — to handle
  6. mate — a partner
  7. spring — a coil
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. spring — of water
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. spring — the season
  16. mate — a friend
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. mate — to breed
  24. deal — a big deal

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