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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: rock · chest · hand · key · foot · root · calf · mouse

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. key — in music
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. key — for a lock
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. hand — help
  8. rock — music
  9. chest — a box
  10. chest — of your body
  11. root — of a word
  12. key — the most important part
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. chest — of your body
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. root — the cause
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. foot — a measure
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. root — of a plant
  22. rock — a stone
  23. hand — in cards
  24. mouse — the animal

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