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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 need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. bound — tied together
  3. tube — the underground
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. bound — obliged
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. bound — certain
  10. tube — a container
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. mate — to breed
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. pound — a weight
  17. rush — hurry
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. mate — a partner
  21. mate — a friend
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. pound — for dogs

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