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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. chest — of your body
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. pit — a hole
  6. cell — a phone
  7. rock — a stone
  8. sharp — clever
  9. suit — in cards
  10. suit — clothes
  11. cell — in biology
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. rock — music
  14. hand — in cards
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. suit — to fit
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. pit — in a race
  20. chest — a box
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. hand — help
  24. sharp — exactly

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