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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 felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. board — a committee
  3. spell — magic
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. spell — a short time
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. chest — of your body
  9. board — to get on
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. spell — letters
  12. bank — for money
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. bank — of a river
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. chest — a box
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. bank — for money
  22. foot — a measure
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. sharp — clever

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