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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've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. fall — the season
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. pop — music
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. pop — soda
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. tube — the underground
  10. tube — a container
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. pop — to visit
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. wake — a trail
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — to drop
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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