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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 · bark · deal · tube · object · row · calf · wound

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. object — to protest
  3. tube — a container
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. chest — a box
  6. bark — to shout
  7. deal — to handle
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. object — an aim
  12. object — a thing
  13. tube — the underground
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. row — to paddle
  16. wound — an injury
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. row — a line
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. chest — of your body
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. wound — an injury
  24. chest — of your body

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