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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: temple · safe · field · rest · lean · key · sharp · chest

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. chest — of your body
  4. lean — to bend
  5. chest — a box
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. rest — a break
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. field — for sport
  11. chest — of your body
  12. key — the most important part
  13. key — for a lock
  14. field — a subject
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. rest — what's left
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. key — in music
  20. lean — thin
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. sharp — clever
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. rest — what's left

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