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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. bank — for money
  4. tube — the underground
  5. hand — in cards
  6. drill — the tool
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. tube — a container
  9. bound — tied together
  10. bank — of a river
  11. drill — a practice
  12. land — to come down
  13. bound — obliged
  14. hand — help
  15. bank — for money
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. land — ground
  18. land — a country
  19. drill — army training
  20. bound — certain
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. racket — for tennis

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