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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: cell · mouse · rock · safe · chair · land · kick · plane

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. land — to come down
  5. rock — music
  6. plane — a tool
  7. kick — in football
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. land — ground
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. cell — in biology
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. chair — a leader
  20. cell — a phone
  21. land — a country
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. safe — out of danger

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