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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. land — ground
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. cell — a phone
  9. row — a line
  10. land — to come down
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. face — part of the head
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. cell — in biology
  18. row — to paddle
  19. face — to point toward
  20. tube — a container
  21. land — a country
  22. face — to confront
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. tube — the underground

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