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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: wake · arm · chest · current · key · bore · sharp · calf

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. chest — of your body
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. chest — a box
  5. bore — to tire
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. key — for a lock
  10. key — in music
  11. current — of water
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. chest — of your body
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. wake — a trail
  17. current — electric
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. bore — to drill
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. key — the most important part
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. current — happening now

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