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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 120 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've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. tube — the underground
  3. rush — hurry
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. pit — a hole
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. bound — obliged
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. bound — certain
  13. pit — in a race
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. tube — a container
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. bound — tied together
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. kick — in football
  24. safe — out of danger

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