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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: toast · chair · bore · kid · cabinet · press · spring · safe

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. spring — a coil
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. bore — to drill
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. kid — to tease
  11. kid — child
  12. bore — to tire
  13. press — newspapers
  14. spring — the season
  15. toast — bread
  16. press — a publisher
  17. chair — a leader
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. spring — of water
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. press — to push
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. chair — a professorship

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