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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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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: ground · safe · kick · tube · club · branch · rule · hide

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. ground — crushed
  3. club — for golf
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. rule — a law
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. tube — the underground
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. branch — a division
  11. tube — a container
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. club — a group
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. ground — the earth
  17. kick — in football
  18. ground — a position
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. club — for dancing
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. rule — government

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