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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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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: court · kid · chest · suit · arm · roll · calf · wave

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. chest — a box
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. roll — a cake
  8. suit — clothes
  9. roll — a list
  10. suit — in cards
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. court — of a king
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. court — for sport
  18. kid — child
  19. court — of law
  20. chest — of your body
  21. suit — to fit
  22. kid — to tease
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. wave — with your hand

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