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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: calf · nail · kid · chair · row · bulb · arm · cue

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  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. chair — a leader
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. row — to paddle
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. cue — for pool
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. row — a line
  13. cue — a hint
  14. kid — to tease
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bulb — for light
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. kid — child
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. bulb — for light
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. cue — a signal
  23. calf — a young animal
  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