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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. object — a thing
  3. tube — a container
  4. fall — the season
  5. rest — what's left
  6. wake — a trail
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. object — an aim
  10. fall — to drop
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. clip — to cut
  14. clip — for paper
  15. squash — the sport
  16. fall — to drop
  17. rest — a break
  18. rest — what's left
  19. object — to protest
  20. squash — to crush
  21. clip — a video
  22. tube — the underground
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. safe — out of danger

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