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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · bore · leaves · lean · current · calf · fall · cue

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. chest — a box
  3. lean — to bend
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. chest — of your body
  6. cue — a signal
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. fall — to drop
  9. bore — to drill
  10. cue — for pool
  11. bore — to tire
  12. chest — of your body
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. fall — the season
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. current — happening now
  18. lean — thin
  19. current — electric
  20. fall — to drop
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. current — of water
  24. cue — a hint

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