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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. object — a thing
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. shower — rain
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. mine — for digging
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. shower — to wash
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. stand — to bear
  18. tube — a container
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. object — to protest
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. object — an aim
  24. safe — out of danger

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