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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: rest · pit · chest · arm · race · bank · track · cabinet

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. chest — of your body
  3. track — to keep track
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. pit — a hole
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. track — a path
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. race — humankind
  10. rest — a break
  11. chest — a box
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. bank — for money
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. chest — of your body
  17. race — a contest
  18. rest — what's left
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. pit — in a race
  21. rest — what's left
  22. race — the arms race
  23. bank — of a river
  24. track — a song

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