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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: foot · leaves · shower · can · bound · jam · chip · chest

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. chip — for betting
  3. chest — of your body
  4. bound — certain
  5. can — a tin
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. can — to be able to
  9. bound — obliged
  10. chest — of your body
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. foot — a measure
  13. can — a tin
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. bound — tied together
  19. shower — to wash
  20. shower — rain
  21. chest — a box
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. foot — the bottom

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