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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. tear — to rip
  3. rest — a break
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. tube — the underground
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. tube — a container
  8. band — a music group
  9. fine — high quality
  10. root — the cause
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. tear — from crying
  14. rest — what's left
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. wound — an injury
  17. tear — from crying
  18. root — of a plant
  19. wound — an injury
  20. root — of a word
  21. rest — what's left
  22. fine — all right
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. band — a ring

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