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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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. land — a country
  4. land — ground
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. date — the fruit
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. chest — a box
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. foot — a measure
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. chest — of your body
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. land — to come down
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — the fish
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. safe — out of danger

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