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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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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: rule · bay · rock · season · safe · chair · rest · cold

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. rock — music
  3. season — in sport
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. rest — a break
  6. rest — what's left
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. chair — a leader
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. cold — an illness
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. season — of the year
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. rule — government
  18. rule — a law
  19. rest — what's left
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. cold — not warm
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. season — to add flavour

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