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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: calf · sharp · snap · chest · chair · coach · cabinet · stem

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  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. cabinet — ministers
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. chest — of your body
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. snap — to click
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. sharp — clever
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. chair — a leader
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. chest — of your body
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. stem — to come from
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. chest — a box
  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