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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.

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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: stick · can · chest · cell · board · wave · foot · pitcher

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. cell — in biology
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. board — a committee
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. board — to get on
  13. can — to be able to
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. can — a tin
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. foot — a measure
  18. chest — a box
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. cell — a phone
  21. can — a tin
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. chest — of your body
  24. pitcher — a jug

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