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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: lean · chest · bank · pitcher · trunk · craft · pound · kid

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. craft — a skill
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. kid — child
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. bank — for money
  9. kid — to tease
  10. craft — boats
  11. chest — of your body
  12. pound — a weight
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. lean — to bend
  15. lean — thin
  16. chest — of your body
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. bank — of a river
  20. bank — for money
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. chest — a box
  24. pitcher — a jug

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