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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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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: trunk · calf · coach · kid · staff · club · bay · rock

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. kid — to tease
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. kid — child
  6. rock — music
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. staff — employees
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. staff — employees
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. club — for golf
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. staff — a stick
  16. club — for dancing
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. rock — a stone

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