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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: kick · chest · shower · perch · bore · calf · track · firm

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. perch — the fish
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. chest — a box
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. chest — of your body
  10. firm — a company
  11. bore — to tire
  12. shower — rain
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. shower — to wash
  16. bore — to drill
  17. track — a song
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. kick — in football
  20. firm — decided
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. track — a path
  23. chest — of your body
  24. track — to keep track

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