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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. tube — a container
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. court — for sport
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. row — to paddle
  8. pass — a permit
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. court — of a king
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. row — a line
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. tube — the underground
  19. lie — to recline
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. court — of law

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