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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 · hand · file · tube · calf · club · track · bank

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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. hand — help
  4. chest — a box
  5. file — a document
  6. tube — a container
  7. club — a group
  8. bank — of a river
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. track — a path
  11. club — for dancing
  12. bank — for money
  13. file — a line of people
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. tube — the underground
  17. track — to keep track
  18. file — a tool
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. bank — for money
  21. track — a song
  22. club — for golf
  23. hand — in cards
  24. tube — in a tire

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