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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. chest — of your body
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. bank — for money
  5. rush — hurry
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — the animal
  8. pit — a hole
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. pit — in a race
  12. chest — a box
  13. bank — of a river
  14. stem — to come from
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. fine — all right
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. chest — of your body
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. fine — high quality
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. bank — for money
  24. fine — a penalty

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