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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 120 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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. chest — of your body
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — a tin
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. can — to be able to
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. saw — the tool
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. saw — the tool
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. branch — a division
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. chest — a box
  20. scale — in music
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. scale — size or range

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