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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: rash · chip · chair · ruler · safe · wind

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. wind — moving air
  5. chair — a leader
  6. wind — moving air
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. chip — for betting
  14. rash — a series
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. rash — hasty
  18. chip — to eat

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