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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: leaves · chest · face · bank · wound · hand · rest · safe

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. face — part of the head
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. chest — of your body
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. chest — of your body
  9. face — to confront
  10. bank — for money
  11. wound — an injury
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. rest — what's left
  14. hand — help
  15. face — to point toward
  16. bank — for money
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. bank — of a river
  20. rest — what's left
  21. wound — an injury
  22. rest — a break
  23. chest — a box
  24. hand — in cards

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