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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. capital — money
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. chest — of your body
  10. file — a tool
  11. file — a document
  12. chest — a box
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. wake — a trail
  16. file — a line of people
  17. suit — to fit
  18. capital — a city
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. suit — in cards
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. suit — clothes

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