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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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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: stick · bulb · bound · leaves · swing · chair · chest · calf

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. swing — to play on
  5. bulb — for light
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. chest — a box
  8. swing — in golf
  9. chest — of your body
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. chest — of your body
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bound — certain
  17. swing — music
  18. bound — tied together
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. bound — obliged
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. bulb — for light
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. chair — a professorship

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