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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: can · coach · spring · plane · fall · stick · calf · wake

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. fall — the season
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. fall — to drop
  7. spring — of water
  8. wake — a trail
  9. spring — a coil
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. can — a tin
  15. fall — to drop
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. can — a tin
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. plane — a tool
  22. spring — the season
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. can — to be able to

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