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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.

Make a worksheet

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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468
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: bay · season · safe · chair · mine · cabinet · kick · file

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  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. safe — out of danger
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. season — of the year
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. kick — in football
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. mine — for digging
  14. file — a document
  15. chair — a leader
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. file — a line of people
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. season — in sport
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. file — a tool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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