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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. chest — a box
  4. club — a group
  5. bank — for money
  6. band — a ring
  7. chest — of your body
  8. bank — of a river
  9. capital — a city
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. chest — of your body
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. capital — money
  14. club — for dancing
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. club — for golf
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. band — a music group
  21. cell — a phone
  22. dip — to sink
  23. bank — for money
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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