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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: chest · bulb · bank · roll · row · squash · jam · calf

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. chest — of your body
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. bank — of a river
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. chest — of your body
  8. bank — for money
  9. bank — for money
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — for light
  12. row — to paddle
  13. roll — a cake
  14. squash — to crush
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. squash — the sport
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. roll — a list
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. row — a line

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