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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. tube — the underground
  3. staff — a stick
  4. chip — to eat
  5. cold — not warm
  6. net — in sport
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. tube — a container
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. cold — an illness
  11. bulb — for light
  12. staff — employees
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. object — a thing
  15. bulb — for light
  16. object — to protest
  17. staff — employees
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. net — after costs
  20. net — for catching
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. chip — for betting
  24. object — an aim

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