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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. mug — a cup
  7. march — the month
  8. pound — a weight
  9. mug — to rob
  10. bank — for money
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. wake — a trail
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. tube — a container
  16. bank — of a river
  17. sharp — clever
  18. bank — for money
  19. march — the month
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. march — music
  24. tube — the underground

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