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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: safe · chair · craft · swing · kid · tube · bound · bore

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. kid — child
  3. bound — certain
  4. craft — boats
  5. bore — to drill
  6. chair — a leader
  7. craft — a skill
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. swing — music
  10. kid — to tease
  11. tube — a container
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. tube — the underground
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. bound — tied together
  16. swing — in golf
  17. bound — obliged
  18. swing — to play on
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. bore — to tire
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. safe — out of danger

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