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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. band — a ring
  3. rule — a law
  4. suit — to fit
  5. cue — a signal
  6. capital — money
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. cue — a hint
  9. tube — the underground
  10. tube — a container
  11. suit — in cards
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. wind — moving air
  16. capital — a city
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. band — a music group
  19. cue — for pool
  20. rule — government
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. suit — clothes
  24. wind — moving air

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