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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: hand · chair · toast · safe · coach · kid · bulb · bear

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. toast — bread
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. chair — a leader
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bulb — for light
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. kid — child
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. kid — to tease
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. bear — the animal
  21. hand — in cards
  22. hand — help
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. chair — to sit 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