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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. tube — the underground
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. tube — a container
  7. mate — a partner
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. game — a match
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. rash — hasty
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. game — wild animals
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. mate — a friend
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. rash — a series
  24. deal — to handle

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