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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.

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: chest · root · spring · hand · calf · stand · bark · mouse

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. root — the cause
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bark — to shout
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. stand — to bear
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. root — of a plant
  12. spring — of water
  13. chest — a box
  14. hand — help
  15. root — of a word
  16. chest — of your body
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. chest — of your body
  20. spring — the season
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. hand — in cards
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. hand — part of the body

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