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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: bound · kick · wave · wake · staff · chest · chair · calf

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. chair — a leader
  4. staff — a stick
  5. bound — tied together
  6. staff — employees
  7. bound — certain
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. staff — employees
  16. wake — a trail
  17. bound — obliged
  18. chest — a box
  19. kick — in football
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. chest — of your body
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. chair — to sit on

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