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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.

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 · sharp · wound · cap · jam · chair · pitcher · safe

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. wound — an injury
  6. chair — a leader
  7. chest — a box
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. wound — an injury
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. chest — of your body
  12. cap — a hat
  13. cap — of ice
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. cap — a lid
  21. sharp — clever
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. chest — of your body
  24. sharp — exactly

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