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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. chest — a box
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. saw — the tool
  5. hand — in cards
  6. prune — to trim
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. root — of a word
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. hand — help
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. root — of a plant
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. saw — the tool
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. root — the cause
  21. prune — to trim
  22. chest — of your body
  23. mouse — the animal
  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