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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: chest · leaves · foot · pound · fan · safe · hide · bat

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. pound — a weight
  8. foot — a measure
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. chest — a box
  13. chest — of your body
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. chest — of your body
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. fan — a supporter

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