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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. race — the arms race
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. tube — the underground
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. kid — child
  9. staff — a stick
  10. kid — to tease
  11. tube — a container
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. branch — a division
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. race — a contest
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. staff — employees
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. staff — employees
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. trunk — of a tree

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