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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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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 · ruler · dip · chair · lean · cue

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. dip — to sink
  4. chair — a leader
  5. cue — a signal
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. cue — for pool
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. lean — to bend
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. lean — thin
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. ruler — a monarch

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