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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 120 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 was locked up in a ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. scale — size or range
  4. chest — of your body
  5. cell — in biology
  6. bound — certain
  7. sharp — clever
  8. scale — in music
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. bound — obliged
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. bark — to shout
  14. chest — of your body
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. bound — tied together
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. chest — a box
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. cell — a phone
  24. mouse — the animal

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