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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: suit · object · saw · safe · bear · court · chest · key

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. key — in music
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. suit — to fit
  7. suit — in cards
  8. object — a thing
  9. court — of a king
  10. suit — clothes
  11. saw — the tool
  12. chest — a box
  13. object — an aim
  14. key — the most important part
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bear — the animal
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. chest — of your body
  19. object — to protest
  20. chest — of your body
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. court — of law
  23. key — for a lock
  24. court — for sport

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