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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: fan · saw · foot · chest · stick · lean · safe · rule

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. saw — the tool
  4. chest — a box
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. chest — of your body
  7. lean — thin
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. rule — government
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. saw — the tool
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. lean — to bend
  17. foot — a measure
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. chest — of your body
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. rule — a law

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