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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: board · firm · file · safe · hand · dip · bay · chair

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. board — to get on
  3. dip — to sink
  4. hand — in cards
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. firm — decided
  7. firm — a company
  8. file — a tool
  9. firm — steady
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. chair — a leader
  13. board — a committee
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. file — a line of people
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. file — a document
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. hand — part of the body

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