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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.

Make a worksheet

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: field · calf · staff · bore · cabinet · hide · arm · wound

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. bore — to drill
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bore — to tire
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. field — for sport
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. staff — employees
  17. staff — a stick
  18. field — farmland
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. field — a subject
  21. wound — an injury
  22. staff — employees
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. wound — an injury

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