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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.

Make a worksheet

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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. lean — thin
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. chest — a box
  5. face — to confront
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. lean — to bend
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. face — to point toward
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. wind — moving air
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. wind — moving air
  18. chair — a leader
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. chest — of your body
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. face — part of the head
  24. chest — of your body

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