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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. fork — in a road
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. tube — a container
  9. band — a music group
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. band — a ring
  13. scale — in music
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. wake — a trail
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. scale — size or range
  20. date — the fruit
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. band — a rubber band

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