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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rush · mate · cold · cabinet · calf · hide · racket · trunk

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. rush — hurry
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. cold — not warm
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. mate — a friend
  23. mate — a partner
  24. cold — an illness

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