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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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. cell — in biology
  4. tube — a container
  5. fall — to drop
  6. cell — a phone
  7. file — a document
  8. branch — a division
  9. tube — the underground
  10. fall — the season
  11. foot — a measure
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. file — a line of people
  15. file — a tool
  16. chest — of your body
  17. fall — to drop
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — a tin
  21. chest — a box
  22. chest — of your body
  23. can — to be able to
  24. cell — in a prison

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