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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: file · cold · safe · chest · bass · track · lean · bore

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. bass — the fish
  4. lean — to bend
  5. track — a path
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. track — to keep track
  8. file — a line of people
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. lean — thin
  11. file — a document
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. chest — a box
  14. bass — low music
  15. cold — not warm
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. file — a tool
  18. chest — of your body
  19. bore — to drill
  20. cold — an illness
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. chest — of your body
  23. track — a song
  24. bass — the instrument

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