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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
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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: chest · date · mouse · file · fan · leaves · pit · key

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. chest — of your body
  3. key — for a lock
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. file — a tool
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. pit — in a race
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. chest — a box
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. file — a line of people
  16. pit — a hole
  17. date — the fruit
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. key — the most important part
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. key — in music
  24. file — a document

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