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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: mouse · calf · cabinet · kick · arm · field · saw · kid

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. saw — the tool
  8. kid — to tease
  9. field — farmland
  10. field — for sport
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. field — a subject
  19. kid — child
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. kick — in football
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. saw — the tool

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