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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. pit — in a race
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. dip — to sink
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. rash — hasty
  11. bear — the animal
  12. present — a gift
  13. bear — the animal
  14. tube — a container
  15. bound — certain
  16. bound — obliged
  17. present — the time now
  18. tube — the underground
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. present — there
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. pit — a hole
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. rash — a series

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