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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's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. pound — a weight
  4. staff — employees
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. pit — in a race
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. board — a committee
  9. board — to get on
  10. shower — rain
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. staff — a stick
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. tube — a container
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. staff — employees
  21. tube — the underground
  22. pit — a hole
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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