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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. kid — child
  3. tube — the underground
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. tear — from crying
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. kid — to tease
  12. ground — a position
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. tear — to rip
  16. tear — from crying
  17. plane — a tool
  18. ground — crushed
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. ground — the earth
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. rush — hurry

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