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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: chair · fork · shower · bore · safe · face · bound · trunk

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bound — obliged
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. chair — a leader
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. bound — certain
  8. shower — rain
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. face — to confront
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. bound — tied together
  16. fork — in a road
  17. bore — to drill
  18. bore — to tire
  19. face — to point toward
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. face — part of the head

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