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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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. pitch — a sales talk
  4. cold — not warm
  5. tube — the underground
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. current — of water
  8. spell — letters
  9. object — an aim
  10. can — to be able to
  11. current — electric
  12. cold — an illness
  13. current — happening now
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. spell — a short time
  16. object — a thing
  17. can — a tin
  18. spell — magic
  19. can — a tin
  20. pitch — completely
  21. tube — a container
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. object — to protest

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