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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 116 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: chair · mouse · rest · lean · tube · pound · calf · coach

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. lean — to bend
  8. tube — the underground
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rest — what's left
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. pound — a weight
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. tube — a container
  19. chair — a leader
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. lean — thin
  22. rest — a break
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. mouse — the animal

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