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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: toast · clip · hide · chair · shower · pass · bore · safe

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. bore — to tire
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. clip — for paper
  8. bore — to drill
  9. toast — bread
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. clip — to cut
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. shower — to wash
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. clip — a video
  21. pass — a permit
  22. shower — rain
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. chair — a leader

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