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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. branch — a division
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. chest — a box
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. chest — of your body
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. pound — a weight
  11. file — a line of people
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. foot — a measure
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. chest — of your body
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. bat — the animal
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. file — a document
  24. safe — out of danger

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