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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: cue · toast · safe · fall · bulb · wound · chip · chair

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. chair — a leader
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. fall — to drop
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. chip — for betting
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. wound — an injury
  11. chip — to eat
  12. cue — a signal
  13. fall — to drop
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. bulb — for light
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. cue — a hint
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. toast — bread
  20. fall — the season
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. cue — for pool
  24. wound — an injury

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