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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  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 — a container
  2. track — a path
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. firm — a company
  5. track — a song
  6. rash — a series
  7. firm — steady
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. tear — from crying
  10. wake — a trail
  11. rash — hasty
  12. tube — the underground
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. tear — to rip
  17. firm — decided
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. track — to keep track
  21. tear — from crying
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. bark — to shout
  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