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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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. rush — hurry
  3. field — a subject
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. field — farmland
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. field — for sport
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. sharp — clever
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. stand — to bear
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. tube — a container
  23. tube — the underground
  24. fork — in a road

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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