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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 116 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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. stem — to come from
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. tube — the underground
  6. squash — the sport
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. squash — to crush
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. spring — a coil
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. spring — the season
  15. spring — of water
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. fine — high quality
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. wake — a trail
  23. fine — all right
  24. wake — before a funeral

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