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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 need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. face — to confront
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. mark — a trace
  7. race — the arms race
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. mark — a grade
  11. face — part of the head
  12. face — to point toward
  13. rest — a break
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. tube — the underground
  17. race — a contest
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. tube — a container
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. race — humankind
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rest — what's left
  24. fork — in a road

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