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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 116 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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. season — in sport
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. lean — to bend
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. file — a tool
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. file — a document
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. season — of the year
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. file — a line of people
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. pit — in a race
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. bore — to drill
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. pit — a hole
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. lean — thin
  24. bore — to tire

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