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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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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: wave · tube · firm · pitch · trunk · chest · bear · present

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. chest — of your body
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. firm — steady
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. firm — decided
  11. tube — the underground
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. firm — a company
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. present — a gift
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. bear — the animal
  19. pitch — completely
  20. tube — a container
  21. present — the time now
  22. present — there
  23. chest — a box
  24. bear — the animal

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