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

Word bank: bay · tube · mark · rest · wind · pop · present · safe

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. rest — what's left
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. pop — to visit
  5. tube — the underground
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. present — the time now
  10. pop — soda
  11. rest — what's left
  12. present — there
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. tube — a container
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. mark — a trace
  17. rest — a break
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. wind — moving air
  20. wind — moving air
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. mark — a grade
  24. pop — music

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