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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pound · row · drill · rush · tube · bass · safe · wake

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. tube — a container
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. bass — low music
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. drill — the tool
  12. bass — the fish
  13. row — a line
  14. drill — a practice
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. rush — hurry
  17. wake — a trail
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. tube — the underground
  21. drill — army training
  22. row — to paddle
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. row — a quarrel

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