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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. dip — to sink
  3. can — a tin
  4. chest — of your body
  5. toast — bread
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. race — the arms race
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. tube — a container
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. tube — the underground
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. race — a contest
  17. race — humankind
  18. can — a tin
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. chest — of your body
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. can — to be able to
  24. bear — the animal

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