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

Word bank: chest · shower · trunk · dip · wave · band · stand · bank

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. chest — of your body
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. bank — of a river
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. band — a ring
  10. dip — to sink
  11. shower — rain
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. bank — for money
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. bank — for money
  18. chest — of your body
  19. stand — to bear
  20. shower — to wash
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. band — a music group

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