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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: calf · coach · mug · chest · cap · bark · bay · content

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. chest — of your body
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. cap — of ice
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. mug — to rob
  13. mug — a cup
  14. cap — a lid
  15. cap — a hat
  16. chest — of your body
  17. bark — to shout
  18. content — happy
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. chest — a box
  24. mug — a face

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