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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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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 · cell · content · ruler · patient · kick · bulb · safe

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. bulb — for light
  4. kick — in football
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. chair — a leader
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. bulb — for light
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. content — the amount
  16. cell — a phone
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. content — happy
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. bulb — of a plant

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