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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 120 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 · foot · bulb · safe · march · craft · straw · track

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. foot — a measure
  3. chest — of your body
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. craft — a skill
  8. bulb — for light
  9. chest — a box
  10. march — the month
  11. bulb — for light
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. track — to keep track
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. march — the month
  19. march — music
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. track — a song
  22. chest — of your body
  23. craft — boats
  24. track — a path

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