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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. drill — army training
  4. drill — the tool
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. wound — an injury
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. wound — an injury
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. chest — of your body
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. chest — a box
  16. lie — to recline
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. chest — of your body
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. cell — in biology
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. drill — a practice

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