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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. toast — bread
  3. wound — an injury
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. wound — an injury
  7. can — to be able to
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. can — a tin
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. capital — money
  17. chest — a box
  18. chest — of your body
  19. chest — of your body
  20. capital — a city
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. foot — a measure

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