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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 120 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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. swing — music
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. swing — in golf
  8. drill — a practice
  9. content — happy
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. lie — to recline
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bore — to tire
  15. swing — to play on
  16. content — the amount
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. drill — army training
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. mine — for digging
  21. tube — the underground
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. drill — the tool
  24. lie — an untruth

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