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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: field · sharp · chair · leaves · bore · safe

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. chair — a leader
  6. field — for sport
  7. field — a subject
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. bore — to drill
  11. bore — to tire
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. field — farmland
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. sharp — clever

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