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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. swing — in golf
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. chest — of your body
  5. rest — what's left
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. mark — a grade
  8. chest — of your body
  9. swing — to play on
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. rest — what's left
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. pitch — completely
  14. sharp — clever
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. swing — music
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. rest — a break
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. chest — a box
  23. mark — a trace
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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