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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. bound — certain
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. tube — a container
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. tube — the underground
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. bound — obliged
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. rest — what's left
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. rest — what's left
  16. kid — child
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. kid — to tease
  19. sharp — clever
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. bat — the animal
  22. bound — tied together
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. rest — a break

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