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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 120 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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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: bay · club · chest · hide · calf · chair

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. club — for golf
  3. chest — of your body
  4. chest — a box
  5. club — a group
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. chair — a leader
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. club — for dancing
  18. chest — of your body

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