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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 was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. mine — for digging
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. tube — the underground
  7. tear — from crying
  8. pit — in a race
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. degree — temperature
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. tear — to rip
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. stand — to bear
  15. degree — from a university
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. roll — a list
  19. tube — a container
  20. roll — a cake
  21. tear — from crying
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. pit — a hole
  24. degree — an amount

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