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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: bay · drill · sharp · safe · roll · bear · board · chair

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. drill — the tool
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. chair — a leader
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. roll — a list
  12. bear — the animal
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. board — to get on
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. drill — a practice
  20. board — a committee
  21. sharp — clever
  22. roll — a cake
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. drill — army training

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