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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. board — to get on
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. bound — certain
  6. tube — a container
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. mark — a grade
  9. bound — tied together
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. bound — obliged
  13. sharp — clever
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. board — a committee
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. rush — hurry
  20. row — to paddle
  21. row — a line
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. tube — the underground
  24. mark — a trace

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