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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: season · safe · chest · suit · mine · bore · firm · scale

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. suit — clothes
  3. mine — for digging
  4. firm — a company
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. scale — size or range
  7. bore — to tire
  8. firm — decided
  9. chest — of your body
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. suit — to fit
  12. chest — a box
  13. suit — in cards
  14. season — of the year
  15. chest — of your body
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. bore — to drill
  18. scale — in music
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. season — in sport
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. firm — steady
  24. season — to add flavour

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