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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: bulb · foot · chip · chest · mark · row · fine · rush

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. chest — of your body
  3. chest — a box
  4. row — a line
  5. rush — hurry
  6. foot — a measure
  7. mark — a trace
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. bulb — for light
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. row — to paddle
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. bulb — for light
  16. chip — for betting
  17. fine — high quality
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. chip — to eat
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. chest — of your body
  23. mark — a grade
  24. bulb — of a plant

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