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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: scale · chip · chair · wake · bowl · tear · trunk · safe

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. tear — from crying
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. tear — from crying
  8. chip — to eat
  9. chip — for betting
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. scale — in music
  16. chair — a leader
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. scale — size or range
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. tear — to rip

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