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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: pit · chest · can · stem · key · bear · wind · rush

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. can — a tin
  3. chest — a box
  4. rush — hurry
  5. pit — a hole
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. wind — moving air
  8. key — in music
  9. can — to be able to
  10. stem — to come from
  11. can — a tin
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. bear — the animal
  14. chest — of your body
  15. bear — the animal
  16. pit — in a race
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. chest — of your body
  23. key — for a lock
  24. key — the most important part

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