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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. game — wild animals
  3. object — a thing
  4. chest — of your body
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. can — a tin
  7. game — a match
  8. object — to protest
  9. branch — a division
  10. root — the cause
  11. can — to be able to
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. chest — of your body
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. root — of a plant
  20. dip — to sink
  21. chest — a box
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. root — of a word
  24. object — an aim

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