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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.

Make a worksheet

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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mine · safe · deal · file · fan · chest

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. file — a line of people
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. chest — of your body
  6. file — a tool
  7. deal — to handle
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. mine — for digging
  13. chest — of your body
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. file — a document
  18. deal — an agreement

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