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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. track — a path
  4. chest — a box
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. toast — bread
  7. sharp — clever
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. capital — money
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. track — a song
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. chest — of your body
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. track — to keep track
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. chest — of your body
  24. capital — a city

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