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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: net · calf · trunk · chest · chair · kid · cabinet · season

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. season — in sport
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. net — for catching
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. chest — of your body
  11. chair — a leader
  12. kid — child
  13. net — after costs
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. season — of the year
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. chest — of your body
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. kid — to tease
  22. net — in sport
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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