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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · trunk · land · craft · march · press · chair · safe

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. march — the month
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. chair — a leader
  5. craft — boats
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. press — newspapers
  8. march — the month
  9. press — to push
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. land — to come down
  13. press — a publisher
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. land — a country
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. toast — bread
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. craft — a skill
  23. march — music
  24. land — ground

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