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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.

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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: chest · bark · stand · last · calf · rock · bound · chip

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. chip — to eat
  3. last — finally
  4. last — final
  5. chest — of your body
  6. bound — certain
  7. bound — tied together
  8. rock — a stone
  9. chest — of your body
  10. bound — obliged
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. last — to go on
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. bark — to shout
  17. rock — music
  18. stand — to bear
  19. chest — a box
  20. chip — for betting
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. bark — of a tree

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