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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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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: club · hide · kid · mouse · rock · file · safe · chair

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. file — a line of people
  3. chair — a leader
  4. rock — a stone
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. club — a group
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. club — for golf
  10. file — a document
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. club — for dancing
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. rock — music
  19. file — a tool
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. kid — child
  22. kid — to tease
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. chair — a professorship

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