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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: fan · hand · chest · row · trunk · bank · object · pitcher

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. bank — of a river
  3. chest — of your body
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. bank — for money
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. chest — of your body
  9. bank — for money
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. object — a thing
  13. hand — in cards
  14. chest — a box
  15. object — an aim
  16. object — to protest
  17. row — a line
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. hand — help
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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