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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. chest — of your body
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. pit — in a race
  8. rash — hasty
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. cell — a phone
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. key — for a lock
  16. chest — a box
  17. key — the most important part
  18. chest — of your body
  19. cell — in biology
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. pit — a hole
  23. key — in music
  24. bowl — a football final

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