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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: chest · content · branch · racket · toast · bay · chip · lean

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. chest — of your body
  6. chest — of your body
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. content — happy
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. chest — a box
  12. chip — for betting
  13. lean — thin
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. content — the amount
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. toast — bread
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. branch — a division
  21. chip — to eat
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. lean — to bend
  24. lean — to rest against

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