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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: mine · charge · straw · coach · calf · last · season · suit

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. suit — in cards
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. suit — clothes
  5. season — of the year
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. last — finally
  10. season — in sport
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. charge — electricity
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. last — to go on
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. last — final
  18. mine — for digging
  19. charge — a price
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. charge — in control
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. suit — to fit
  24. straw — dry grass

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