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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. tube — the underground
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. tube — a container
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. wind — moving air
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. wind — moving air
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. season — in sport
  18. foot — a measure
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. scale — in music
  21. season — of the year
  22. scale — size or range
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. fan — to cool the air

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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