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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 116 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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — the tool
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. firm — decided
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. firm — a company
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. tube — the underground
  13. face — part of the head
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. land — to come down
  17. face — to point toward
  18. firm — steady
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. face — to confront
  22. land — ground
  23. tube — a container
  24. land — a country

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