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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
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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 · kid · calf · cue · mug · race · hand · bound

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. hand — in cards
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. kid — child
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. bound — certain
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. hand — help
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. mug — a cup
  11. kid — to tease
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. bound — tied together
  15. mug — a face
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. bound — obliged
  18. mug — to rob
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. race — humankind
  21. cue — a signal
  22. race — the arms race
  23. cue — a hint
  24. cue — for pool

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