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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. chest — of your body
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. file — a tool
  5. mate — a partner
  6. file — a line of people
  7. object — a thing
  8. rush — hurry
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. mate — to breed
  14. chest — of your body
  15. mine — for digging
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. mate — a friend
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. object — to protest
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. object — an aim
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. file — a document

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