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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. pop — soda
  4. chest — a box
  5. bank — for money
  6. clip — for paper
  7. suit — clothes
  8. pop — to visit
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. clip — a video
  11. pop — music
  12. branch — a division
  13. clip — to cut
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. bank — of a river
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. suit — to fit
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. bank — for money
  21. pitch — completely
  22. chest — of your body
  23. suit — in cards
  24. cabinet — ministers

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