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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: chest · present · bear · hand · row · bound · safe · file

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. row — a line
  3. present — the time now
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. file — a tool
  6. chest — of your body
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. bound — certain
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. file — a line of people
  11. bound — obliged
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. present — a gift
  14. present — there
  15. chest — of your body
  16. row — to paddle
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bear — the animal
  19. hand — in cards
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. chest — a box
  22. bear — the animal
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. hand — help

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