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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: file · wind · safe · chair · dip · ruler · nail · coach

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. chair — a leader
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. file — a line of people
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. dip — to sink
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. wind — moving air
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. file — a document
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. file — a tool
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. wind — moving air

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