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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 116 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: object · lie · cell · safe · chip · pass

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. pass — a permit
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. chip — to eat
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. cell — a phone
  10. lie — to recline
  11. cell — in biology
  12. chip — for betting
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. object — to protest
  17. object — an aim
  18. object — a thing

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