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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. chest — a box
  4. hand — help
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. pit — a hole
  8. pit — in a race
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. chest — of your body
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. band — a music group
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. band — a ring
  21. branch — a division
  22. pound — a weight
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. hand — in cards

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