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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: rock · race · lie · safe · staff · leaves · wound · chair

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. staff — employees
  4. race — the arms race
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. staff — employees
  9. chair — a leader
  10. rock — music
  11. wound — an injury
  12. lie — to recline
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. rock — a stone
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. wound — an injury
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. race — a contest
  23. staff — a stick
  24. leaves — of a tree

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