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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: trunk · game · cell · hide · calf · suit · kid · lie

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. cell — in biology
  3. suit — to fit
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. lie — to recline
  8. suit — in cards
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. cell — a phone
  12. game — wild animals
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. game — a match
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. suit — clothes
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. kid — to tease
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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