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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: bay · snap · chair · band · kick · rest · safe · chip

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. rest — a break
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. snap — to click
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. kick — in football
  11. chair — a leader
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. rest — what's left
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. band — a ring
  16. chip — for betting
  17. band — a music group
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. rest — what's left
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. chip — to eat
  24. chair — to sit on

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