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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 120 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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. mug — a face
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. saw — the tool
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. swing — to play on
  9. mug — to rob
  10. rock — music
  11. tube — a container
  12. swing — music
  13. rock — a stone
  14. ground — the earth
  15. shower — to wash
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. ground — crushed
  18. shower — rain
  19. swing — in golf
  20. ground — a position
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. mug — a cup
  24. saw — the tool

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