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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 116 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: coach · pitcher · swing · leaves · lean · charge · object · calf

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. lean — thin
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. swing — to play on
  8. object — an aim
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. swing — in golf
  12. lean — to bend
  13. swing — music
  14. charge — in control
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. charge — a price
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. charge — electricity
  20. object — a thing
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. leaves — lets stay

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