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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. race — the arms race
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. tube — the underground
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. bound — certain
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. present — a gift
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. present — there
  13. rest — what's left
  14. present — the time now
  15. rest — what's left
  16. tube — a container
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. bound — obliged
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. race — humankind
  22. bound — tied together
  23. rest — a break
  24. race — a contest

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