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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 would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. rest — what's left
  4. current — of water
  5. bear — the animal
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. current — electric
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. rest — what's left
  12. kick — in football
  13. band — a music group
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. band — a ring
  16. current — happening now
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. bear — the animal
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. tube — a container
  23. tube — the underground
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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