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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: safe · squash · chair · shower · key · rest · jam · chest

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. rest — what's left
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. shower — to wash
  8. key — the most important part
  9. squash — the sport
  10. rest — what's left
  11. chest — of your body
  12. squash — to crush
  13. chest — of your body
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. chest — a box
  18. rest — a break
  19. key — in music
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. chair — a leader
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. key — for a lock

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