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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 · date · safe · vault · rush · patient · perch · file

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. file — a document
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. chair — a leader
  8. file — a tool
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. date — the fruit
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. file — a line of people
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. vault — a safe
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. perch — the fish
  21. rush — hurry
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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