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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. chest — a box
  3. can — to be able to
  4. branch — a division
  5. stand — to bear
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. chest — of your body
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. bound — obliged
  10. deal — to handle
  11. can — a tin
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. land — to come down
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. land — a country
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. can — a tin
  22. bound — tied together
  23. land — ground
  24. chest — of your body

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