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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: chest · row · calf · plane · key · racket

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. key — for a lock
  5. chest — of your body
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. key — in music
  9. chest — of your body
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. key — the most important part
  12. chest — a box
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. row — a line
  15. plane — a tool
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. racket — for tennis

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