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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: game · pop · chip · ruler · wind · content · safe · lie

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. content — happy
  5. game — a match
  6. game — wild animals
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — to recline
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. pop — to visit
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. chip — to eat
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. wind — moving air
  20. content — the amount
  21. wind — moving air
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. pop — music
  24. chip — for betting

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