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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: can · chest · bark · dip · pound · bank · rest · track

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. bank — for money
  3. chest — a box
  4. dip — to sink
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. track — a path
  7. track — to keep track
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. can — a tin
  10. pound — a weight
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. bark — to shout
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. rest — what's left
  16. bank — of a river
  17. bank — for money
  18. can — a tin
  19. track — a song
  20. rest — what's left
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. chest — of your body
  23. can — to be able to
  24. rest — a break

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