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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. chair — a leader
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. file — a line of people
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. file — a document
  11. root — of a plant
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. kid — child
  14. root — the cause
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. bound — obliged
  17. craft — boats
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. root — of a word
  21. craft — a skill
  22. bound — certain
  23. kid — to tease
  24. file — a tool

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