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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 · racket · cabinet · trunk · rock · firm · clip · mate

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. rock — music
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. mate — to breed
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. mate — a partner
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. clip — for paper
  11. firm — steady
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. firm — a company
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. clip — a video
  18. mate — a friend
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. rock — a stone
  21. firm — decided
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. clip — to cut
  24. racket — for tennis

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