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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. hand — in cards
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. season — of the year
  8. bass — the fish
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. tube — the underground
  12. tube — a container
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. season — in sport
  16. wind — moving air
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. wind — moving air
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. hand — help
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. bass — low music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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