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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: rest · chip · lie · plane · chair · safe · tube · stock

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. tube — the underground
  5. stock — shares
  6. chip — for betting
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. plane — a tool
  9. rest — what's left
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. tube — a container
  14. rest — a break
  15. stock — goods
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. chip — to eat
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. rest — what's left
  23. lie — to recline
  24. chair — a leader

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