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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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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: staff · bark · lean · dip · pass · chest · calf · chair

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. dip — to sink
  4. bark — to shout
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. chair — a leader
  7. staff — a stick
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. chest — a box
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. pass — a permit
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. chest — of your body
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. staff — employees
  20. staff — employees
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. lean — thin
  23. calf — of the leg
  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