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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 116 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
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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: land · chair · safe · rest · fall · bore · cabinet · scale

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. rest — what's left
  4. fall — the season
  5. scale — in music
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. rest — a break
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. chair — a leader
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. scale — size or range
  16. land — ground
  17. land — a country
  18. land — to come down
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. fall — to drop
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. rest — what's left
  23. bore — to drill
  24. bore — to tire

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