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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: sharp · face · file · safe · trunk · leaves · foot · kid

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. file — a tool
  3. face — to point toward
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. kid — child
  6. foot — a measure
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. file — a document
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. file — a line of people
  15. face — to confront
  16. sharp — clever
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. kid — to tease
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. face — part of the head
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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