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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: clip · bowl · safe · chest · staff · chair · perch · bound

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. chair — a leader
  4. staff — employees
  5. bound — certain
  6. staff — a stick
  7. chest — of your body
  8. clip — to cut
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. perch — the fish
  12. chest — of your body
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. bound — obliged
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. bound — tied together
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. clip — for paper
  21. clip — a video
  22. staff — employees
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bowl — to roll

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