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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. face — to confront
  4. chest — of your body
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. chest — of your body
  7. current — of water
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. rest — what's left
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. chest — a box
  12. suit — to fit
  13. saw — the tool
  14. current — happening now
  15. face — to point toward
  16. current — electric
  17. rest — what's left
  18. saw — the tool
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. suit — clothes
  21. face — part of the head
  22. suit — in cards
  23. rest — a break
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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