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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 is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. chest — of your body
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. staff — employees
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. staff — employees
  8. chest — a box
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. row — a line
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. fall — to drop
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. staff — a stick
  17. fall — the season
  18. lean — to bend
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. chest — of your body
  23. fall — to drop
  24. row — to paddle

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