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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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. mug — a cup
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. game — wild animals
  8. mug — to rob
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. mug — a face
  11. staff — employees
  12. tube — a container
  13. ball — a great time
  14. game — a match
  15. snap — to click
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. ball — a dance
  19. staff — employees
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. staff — a stick
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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