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

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. spring — the season
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. deal — to handle
  7. can — a tin
  8. row — to paddle
  9. can — to be able to
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. spring — of water
  13. can — a tin
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. chair — a leader
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. row — a line
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. spring — a coil
  24. hide — to keep secret

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