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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. cue — a hint
  4. capital — money
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. tube — a container
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. dip — to sink
  10. fine — high quality
  11. fine — all right
  12. mate — to breed
  13. cue — a signal
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. capital — a city
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. cue — for pool
  21. tube — the underground
  22. mate — a partner
  23. mate — a friend
  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