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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 · object · wind · safe · file · staff · chest · drill

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. object — an aim
  3. file — a tool
  4. wind — moving air
  5. object — a thing
  6. drill — a practice
  7. chest — of your body
  8. chest — a box
  9. file — a document
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. chest — of your body
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. file — a line of people
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. staff — employees
  16. drill — the tool
  17. drill — army training
  18. staff — employees
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. object — to protest
  21. staff — a stick
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. wind — moving air
  24. leaves — to go away

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