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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. bound — tied together
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. file — a line of people
  9. chest — of your body
  10. rock — a stone
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. bank — for money
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. bound — obliged
  15. bound — certain
  16. file — a document
  17. chest — of your body
  18. rock — music
  19. file — a tool
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. bank — of a river
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. bank — for money

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