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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. game — wild animals
  7. drill — the tool
  8. staff — employees
  9. pop — soda
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. tube — the underground
  12. pop — music
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. saw — the tool
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. staff — employees
  18. drill — army training
  19. saw — the tool
  20. drill — a practice
  21. staff — a stick
  22. tube — a container
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. pop — to visit

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