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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: chair · press · straw · trunk · staff · calf · wax · cabinet

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. press — to push
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. staff — a stick
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. staff — employees
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. wax — to grow
  18. press — newspapers
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. chair — a leader
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. press — a publisher
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. trunk — of a car

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