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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 116 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: chair · lie · calf · staff · safe · row · lean · land

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. lean — thin
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. lean — to bend
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. lie — to recline
  9. land — ground
  10. staff — a stick
  11. land — a country
  12. chair — a leader
  13. row — to paddle
  14. row — a line
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. land — to come down
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. staff — employees

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