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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 120 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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. chest — of your body
  4. band — a ring
  5. cell — a phone
  6. mine — for digging
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. chest — a box
  10. deal — to handle
  11. lie — to recline
  12. club — a group
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. band — a music group
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. cell — in biology
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. chest — of your body
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. club — for dancing
  24. club — for golf

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