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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. fall — the season
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. scale — size or range
  6. march — the month
  7. fall — to drop
  8. file — a line of people
  9. file — a document
  10. key — for a lock
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. march — music
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. march — the month
  16. file — a tool
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. scale — in music
  19. fall — to drop
  20. key — in music
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. key — the most important part
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. stem — to come from

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