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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: mine · safe · deal · file · fan · chest · perch · tube

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  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. deal — a big deal
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. chest — of your body
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. tube — the underground
  7. deal — to handle
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. tube — a container
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. perch — the fish
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. file — a tool
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. mine — for digging
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. file — a line of people
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. chest — a box
  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