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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 120 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: mug · wave · branch · net · foot · kid · chair · calf

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. kid — to tease
  3. mug — a cup
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. kid — child
  7. foot — a measure
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. mug — to rob
  11. mug — a face
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. net — for catching
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. net — in sport
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. net — after costs
  22. branch — a division
  23. chair — a leader
  24. calf — of the leg

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