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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.

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

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. bound — tied together
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. bound — certain
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bound — obliged
  9. key — in music
  10. row — a line
  11. chest — of your body
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. chest — of your body
  14. plane — a tool
  15. row — to paddle
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. key — the most important part
  18. chest — a box
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. key — for a lock
  22. band — a ring
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. band — a music group

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