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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. tube — the underground
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. tube — a container
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. rock — a stone
  8. shower — rain
  9. branch — a division
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. lie — to recline
  17. shower — to wash
  18. rock — music
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. mine — for digging
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. tube — in a tire

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