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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. firm — steady
  3. cell — in biology
  4. kick — in football
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. roll — a list
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. object — to protest
  11. roll — a cake
  12. object — an aim
  13. tube — a container
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. firm — a company
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. object — a thing
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. firm — decided
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. cell — a phone
  24. date — the fruit

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