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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. hand — help
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. chest — of your body
  5. hand — in cards
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. can — a tin
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. chest — a box
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. can — to be able to
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. stem — to come from
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. branch — a division
  20. can — a tin
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. safe — a strongbox

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