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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: calf · bat · bore · row · foot · root · squash · chest

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. chest — of your body
  3. squash — to crush
  4. bat — the animal
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. chest — a box
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. bore — to tire
  9. root — of a word
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. root — the cause
  13. squash — the sport
  14. bore — to drill
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. root — of a plant
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. row — to paddle
  20. row — a line
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. foot — a measure

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