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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: mate · pop · calf · cell · coach · branch · craft · face

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. mate — a partner
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. pop — soda
  5. pop — to visit
  6. mate — a friend
  7. cell — in biology
  8. craft — a skill
  9. face — to point toward
  10. mate — to breed
  11. face — to confront
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. face — part of the head
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. cell — a phone
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. branch — a division
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. craft — boats
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. pop — music

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