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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: lean · kick · safe · perch · rule · chip · chest · cell

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. perch — the fish
  5. rule — a law
  6. kick — in football
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. cell — in biology
  10. chip — for betting
  11. chip — to eat
  12. rule — government
  13. chest — of your body
  14. lean — thin
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. cell — a phone
  18. chest — a box
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. lean — to bend
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. chest — of your body

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