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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. rest — what's left
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. mine — for digging
  9. dip — to sink
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — a break
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. field — for sport
  14. tube — the underground
  15. field — a subject
  16. tube — a container
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. field — farmland

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