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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: safe · chair · ruler · pop · staff · chest

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. pop — to visit
  3. chest — of your body
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. staff — a stick
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. chest — of your body
  10. pop — music
  11. pop — soda
  12. chair — a leader
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. staff — employees
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. chest — a box
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. safe — a strongbox

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