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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. chest — a box
  3. chest — of your body
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. last — to go on
  6. foot — a measure
  7. chest — of your body
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. land — ground
  11. last — final
  12. wound — an injury
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. last — finally
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. wound — an injury
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. land — a country
  23. land — to come down
  24. safe — out of danger

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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