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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. ground — crushed
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. suit — to fit
  6. shower — to wash
  7. tube — the underground
  8. ground — a position
  9. tube — a container
  10. suit — in cards
  11. scale — in music
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. band — a ring
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. scale — size or range
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. suit — clothes
  19. ground — the earth
  20. band — a music group
  21. stem — to come from
  22. shower — rain
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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