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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. chest — of your body
  4. squash — to crush
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. rest — what's left
  8. chest — of your body
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. chest — a box
  11. tube — a container
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. squash — the sport
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. bore — to drill
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rest — a break
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. tube — the underground

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