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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. can — a tin
  3. bank — for money
  4. chest — of your body
  5. cap — a lid
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. object — a thing
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. chest — a box
  11. object — to protest
  12. can — a tin
  13. bank — of a river
  14. cap — of ice
  15. can — to be able to
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. craft — a skill
  20. lie — to recline
  21. craft — boats
  22. cap — a hat
  23. bank — for money
  24. object — an aim

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