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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 120 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: can · band · chair · craft · coach · safe · nail · file

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. craft — boats
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. can — a tin
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. can — a tin
  10. band — a ring
  11. can — to be able to
  12. craft — a skill
  13. file — a document
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. band — a music group
  19. file — a line of people
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. file — a tool

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