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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: hide · kick · safe · band · tube · rest · firm · hand

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. tube — a container
  3. firm — steady
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. rest — a break
  7. band — a ring
  8. firm — a company
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. kick — in football
  12. hand — in cards
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. rest — what's left
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. tube — the underground
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. hand — help
  19. band — a music group
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. firm — decided
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. rest — what's left
  24. tube — in a tire

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