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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  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. tube — a container
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. key — the most important part
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. roll — a cake
  7. key — in music
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. fall — the season
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. hand — in cards
  14. fall — to drop
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. tube — the underground
  17. key — for a lock
  18. fall — to drop
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. bark — to shout
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. roll — a list
  23. hand — help
  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