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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.

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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: firm · trunk · chest · game · wave · calf · leaves · current

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  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. chest — of your body
  2. game — a match
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. current — electric
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. firm — a company
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. current — happening now
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. firm — steady
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. current — of water
  19. firm — decided
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. game — wild animals
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. chest — a box
  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