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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: field · safe · track · band · chair · saw · can · lean

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. lean — to bend
  4. field — for sport
  5. saw — the tool
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. can — a tin
  9. band — a ring
  10. lean — thin
  11. can — a tin
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. chair — a leader
  14. band — a music group
  15. track — a song
  16. track — to keep track
  17. field — a subject
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. track — a path
  20. saw — the tool
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. can — to be able to
  23. field — farmland
  24. safe — a strongbox

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