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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. chest — of your body
  3. can — a tin
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. kid — child
  6. foot — a measure
  7. can — a tin
  8. net — in sport
  9. can — to be able to
  10. net — for catching
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. bank — of a river
  13. bank — for money
  14. net — after costs
  15. bank — for money
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. chest — of your body
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. chest — a box
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. foot — part of the body

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