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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: chest · bank · rush · field · can · rest · bound · prune

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. chest — a box
  3. rush — hurry
  4. field — a subject
  5. chest — of your body
  6. bound — obliged
  7. field — for sport
  8. bank — of a river
  9. bound — tied together
  10. bound — certain
  11. prune — to trim
  12. bank — for money
  13. chest — of your body
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. field — farmland
  17. can — a tin
  18. rest — a break
  19. prune — to trim
  20. rest — what's left
  21. can — a tin
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. can — to be able to
  24. bank — for money

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