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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 120 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 assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. spring — of water
  6. charge — electricity
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. rock — music
  9. tube — the underground
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. spring — a coil
  12. wax — to grow
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. charge — in control
  16. charge — a price
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. spring — the season
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. rock — a stone
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. fine — high quality
  24. tube — a container

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