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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
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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: cabinet · safe · pop · chest · rule · date · trunk · key

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. chest — of your body
  3. date — the fruit
  4. key — for a lock
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. rule — government
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. pop — music
  16. pop — soda
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. rule — a law
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. key — the most important part
  21. key — in music
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. chest — a box
  24. pop — to visit

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