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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 120 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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. pop — music
  3. chest — of your body
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. band — a music group
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. branch — a division
  9. key — in music
  10. chest — a box
  11. mark — a grade
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. bear — the animal
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. pop — soda
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. key — for a lock
  18. pop — to visit
  19. chest — of your body
  20. mark — a trace
  21. bear — the animal
  22. key — the most important part
  23. foot — a measure
  24. band — a ring

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