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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: swing · rock · bear · game · band · root · rush · chest

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. root — of a word
  3. chest — of your body
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. swing — in golf
  6. swing — music
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. band — a music group
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. bear — the animal
  11. root — of a plant
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. game — wild animals
  14. bear — the animal
  15. rock — a stone
  16. band — a ring
  17. chest — of your body
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. root — the cause
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. rock — music
  22. rush — hurry
  23. swing — to play on
  24. game — a match

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