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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. chest — a box
  3. stock — goods
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. stem — to come from
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. stock — shares
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. band — a ring
  13. band — a music group
  14. chest — of your body
  15. march — the month
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. vault — a safe
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. branch — a division
  21. march — music
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. march — the month

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