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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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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: chip · safe · bat · object · kick · leaves · chest · fine

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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. object — a thing
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. kick — in football
  6. object — to protest
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. fine — all right
  10. chip — for betting
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. bat — the animal
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. fine — high quality
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. object — an aim
  19. chest — a box
  20. chip — to eat
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. leaves — to go away

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