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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: lie · safe · bowl · chest · bat · chip · bulb · pass

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. chest — of your body
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. chest — of your body
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. pass — a permit
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. chest — a box
  13. bat — the animal
  14. chip — for betting
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. lie — to recline
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. bulb — for light

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