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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: staff · mug · cabinet · row · squash · trunk · cold · calf

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. mug — a cup
  3. squash — to crush
  4. mug — a face
  5. cold — not warm
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. staff — employees
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. row — to paddle
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. staff — a stick
  16. cold — an illness
  17. mug — to rob
  18. staff — employees
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. row — a line
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. squash — the sport

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