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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 · rock · chair · kid · racket · coach · hide · chest

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. kid — child
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. chest — a box
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. chest — of your body
  12. kid — to tease
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. chest — of your body
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. rock — music
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. chair — a leader
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. hide — to keep secret

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