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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: chest · safe · coach · wake · bowl · nail · chair · rock

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. chest — a box
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. rock — a stone
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. chair — a leader
  8. wake — a trail
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. chest — of your body
  16. rock — music
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. chest — of your body
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. safe — out of danger

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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