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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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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: stick · track · firm · lash · hide · chest · rock · calf

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. track — to keep track
  6. track — a song
  7. rock — a stone
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. firm — steady
  13. firm — a company
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. firm — decided
  16. chest — a box
  17. rock — music
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. track — a path
  20. chest — of your body
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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