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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: tear · safe · file · saw · coach · chair · bear · key

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. chair — a leader
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. file — a document
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — the animal
  14. file — a line of people
  15. tear — from crying
  16. key — in music
  17. key — for a lock
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. key — the most important part
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — the tool
  22. file — a tool
  23. tear — to rip
  24. bear — to put up with

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