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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: rush · chair · safe · kid · plane · lie · ground · pop

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. kid — to tease
  4. chair — a leader
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. pop — to visit
  7. pop — music
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. ground — a position
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. ground — crushed
  14. lie — to recline
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. pop — soda
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. kid — child
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. ground — the earth
  23. rush — hurry
  24. lie — an untruth

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