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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 120 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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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: safe · bore · deal · chest · bay · file · stem · fine

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. fine — all right
  3. bore — to drill
  4. stem — to come from
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. fine — high quality
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. file — a tool
  13. bore — to tire
  14. file — a line of people
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. chest — of your body
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. deal — to handle
  22. file — a document
  23. chest — of your body
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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