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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 116 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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. bore — to tire
  3. ground — a position
  4. fall — to drop
  5. firm — a company
  6. bore — to drill
  7. ground — crushed
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. shower — rain
  11. firm — steady
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. fall — to drop
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. tube — the underground
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. fall — the season
  19. ground — the earth
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. shower — to wash
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. firm — decided

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