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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
468
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: dip · chest · calf · stem · chip · drill · bound · lean

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. chest — of your body
  3. stem — to come from
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. lean — thin
  6. chip — for betting
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. chest — a box
  10. lean — to bend
  11. chest — of your body
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. drill — the tool
  16. drill — a practice
  17. drill — army training
  18. dip — to sink
  19. bound — tied together
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. chip — to eat
  22. bound — obliged
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. chip — in a computer

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