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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. craft — boats
  3. tube — a container
  4. charge — in control
  5. craft — a skill
  6. drill — a practice
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. bound — obliged
  9. drill — the tool
  10. charge — electricity
  11. bound — certain
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. charge — a price
  16. drill — army training
  17. bound — tied together
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. tube — the underground
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. toast — bread
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. straw — a straw man

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