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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: bat · cabinet · bore · key · arm · safe · chest · last

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. bore — to tire
  4. chest — of your body
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. bat — the animal
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. key — in music
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. last — to go on
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. bore — to drill
  14. last — finally
  15. chest — a box
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. key — the most important part
  19. last — final
  20. key — for a lock
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. chest — of your body

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