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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  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. wind — moving air
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wound — an injury
  8. cell — a phone
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. root — of a plant
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. root — the cause
  14. tube — the underground
  15. tube — a container
  16. bass — low music
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. root — of a word
  21. cell — in biology
  22. bass — the fish
  23. bass — the instrument
  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