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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: kick · dip · chair · clip · coach · board · calf · arm

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. dip — to sink
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. kick — in football
  7. clip — for paper
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. clip — to cut
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. chair — a leader
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. clip — a video
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. board — a committee
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. board — to get on

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