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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: calf · coach · jam · branch · straw · foot · spring · bass

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. foot — a measure
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. branch — a division
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. spring — of water
  11. bass — low music
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. bass — the fish
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. spring — a coil
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. spring — the season

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