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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 120 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: tube · content · bank · clip · rule · lie · chair · safe

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. tube — a container
  3. content — happy
  4. rule — government
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. bank — for money
  7. clip — a video
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. lie — to recline
  11. tube — the underground
  12. content — the amount
  13. bank — for money
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. clip — to cut
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. bank — of a river
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. clip — for paper
  20. chair — a leader
  21. rule — a law
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. tube — in a tire

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