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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: chair · chip · pound · rest · safe · cabinet · bark · lie

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. pound — a weight
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bark — to shout
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. chip — for betting
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. chair — a leader
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. chip — to eat
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. rest — what's left
  16. lie — to recline
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. rest — what's left
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. pound — for dogs

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