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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.

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: kid · calf · chair · suit · hand · trunk · net · cue

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. kid — child
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. cue — a hint
  7. hand — in cards
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. cue — a signal
  10. suit — in cards
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. cue — for pool
  16. net — after costs
  17. suit — clothes
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. net — in sport
  20. net — for catching
  21. suit — to fit
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. chair — a leader
  24. kid — to tease

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