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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: foot · chest · bark · safe · wake · bat · cabinet · present

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. present — a gift
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. chest — of your body
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. bark — to shout
  16. present — the time now
  17. bat — the animal
  18. chest — a box
  19. wake — a trail
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. foot — a measure
  22. present — there
  23. chest — of your body
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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