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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 · pitcher · bound · pop · bank · present · rest · calf

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. bound — certain
  3. rest — what's left
  4. present — there
  5. chest — of your body
  6. pop — music
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. chest — of your body
  9. bank — for money
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. present — a gift
  12. bound — tied together
  13. rest — a break
  14. pop — soda
  15. rest — what's left
  16. pop — to visit
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. bank — for money
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. bank — of a river
  23. bound — obliged
  24. present — the time now

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