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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. charge — a price
  5. bound — obliged
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. pound — a weight
  8. tube — the underground
  9. tube — a container
  10. sharp — clever
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. drill — army training
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. drill — a practice
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. drill — the tool
  20. bound — certain
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. charge — electricity
  23. charge — in control
  24. bound — tied together

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