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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: present · foot · rush · wound · pit · field · chest · branch

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. branch — a division
  4. foot — a measure
  5. present — the time now
  6. present — there
  7. chest — of your body
  8. pit — in a race
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. field — farmland
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. present — a gift
  13. field — for sport
  14. wound — an injury
  15. pit — a hole
  16. wound — an injury
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. field — a subject
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. chest — a box
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. chest — of your body
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. rush — hurry

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