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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. foot — a measure
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. squash — the sport
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. chest — of your body
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. chest — of your body
  10. staff — a stick
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. squash — to crush
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. chest — a box
  15. staff — employees
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. content — the amount
  18. staff — employees
  19. content — happy
  20. bank — of a river
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. bank — for money

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