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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. lean — to bend
  5. chest — of your body
  6. lean — thin
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. can — a tin
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. fork — in a road
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. chest — of your body
  14. sharp — clever
  15. cell — a phone
  16. mark — a grade
  17. can — to be able to
  18. mark — a trace
  19. can — a tin
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. chest — a box
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. cell — in biology
  24. lean — to rest against

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