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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. march — music
  3. pound — a weight
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. bound — certain
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. chest — of your body
  11. march — the month
  12. bank — of a river
  13. roll — a cake
  14. bound — obliged
  15. bank — for money
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. chest — of your body
  18. bear — the animal
  19. march — the month
  20. bank — for money
  21. roll — a list
  22. bound — tied together
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. bear — 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