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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 120 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: safe · chair · pass · leaves · kick · bore · last · coach

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. last — final
  3. chair — a leader
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. last — finally
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. bore — to tire
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. kick — in football
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. pass — a permit
  21. bore — to drill
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. last — to go on

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