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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: dip · calf · cabinet · ball · trunk · bat · bear · coach

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. dip — to sink
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. ball — a dance
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. bat — the animal
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. bear — the animal
  17. ball — a great time
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. bear — the animal
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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