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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 haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. rest — what's left
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. tube — a container
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wound — an injury
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. cap — of ice
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rest — a break
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. tube — the underground
  19. plane — a tool
  20. cap — a hat
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. cap — a lid
  24. safe — a strongbox

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