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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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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 · bore · chair · fork · drill · foot · band · craft

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. bore — to tire
  3. drill — the tool
  4. craft — boats
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. band — a music group
  8. craft — a skill
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. fork — in a road
  11. foot — a measure
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. drill — army training
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. chair — a leader
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. drill — a practice
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. band — a ring
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. bore — to drill

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