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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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. mate — to breed
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. band — a music group
  8. mate — a partner
  9. pit — a hole
  10. craft — a skill
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. cell — a phone
  13. tube — the underground
  14. craft — boats
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. mate — a friend
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. cell — in biology
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. tube — a container
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. pit — in a race
  23. band — a ring
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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