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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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. coach — a trainer
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. face — to confront
  8. chest — a box
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. face — part of the head
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. chest — of your body
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. face — to point toward

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