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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: bore · chest · track · calf · bank · sharp · hand · bay

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. bore — to tire
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. hand — in cards
  7. sharp — clever
  8. chest — of your body
  9. chest — a box
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. bore — to drill
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. bank — for money
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. hand — help
  18. bank — for money
  19. track — to keep track
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. chest — of your body
  23. track — a path
  24. bank — of a river

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