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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. current — happening now
  5. chest — of your body
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. chest — of your body
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. pound — a weight
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. chip — for betting
  12. rush — hurry
  13. current — electric
  14. branch — a division
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. bear — the animal
  17. fine — high quality
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. current — of water
  21. bear — the animal
  22. chip — to eat
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. fine — all right

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