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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: chair · safe · file · kid · board · foot · roll · rash

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. roll — a list
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. rash — a series
  7. rash — hasty
  8. file — a line of people
  9. board — to get on
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. kid — to tease
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. file — a document
  17. foot — a measure
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. roll — a cake
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. board — a committee
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. chair — a leader
  24. file — a tool

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