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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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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: pop · chair · hand · calf · tube · firm · cabinet · trunk

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. chair — a leader
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. pop — soda
  7. hand — in cards
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. firm — a company
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. tube — the underground
  13. pop — music
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. firm — steady
  17. hand — help
  18. tube — a container
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. pop — to visit
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. firm — decided

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