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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.

Make a worksheet

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: file · season · cabinet · safe · stand · land · chair · squash

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. file — a line of people
  5. land — ground
  6. file — a tool
  7. land — to come down
  8. squash — the sport
  9. file — a document
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. squash — to crush
  14. season — of the year
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. stand — to bear
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. season — in sport
  20. land — a country
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. chair — a leader
  24. chair — to sit on

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