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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. tube — a container
  4. rock — music
  5. chest — of your body
  6. last — final
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. last — finally
  9. tube — the underground
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. pound — a weight
  12. bank — for money
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. chest — a box
  15. bank — of a river
  16. chest — of your body
  17. bear — the animal
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. rock — a stone
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. last — to go on
  23. bank — for money
  24. jam — a tight spot

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