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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. chest — of your body
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. bank — for money
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. firm — decided
  9. lean — to bend
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. firm — a company
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. bank — for money
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. firm — steady
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. pound — a weight
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. lean — thin
  23. chest — a box
  24. bank — of a river

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