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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: tube · sharp · land · tear · rock · safe · saw · pound

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. tear — from crying
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. tear — from crying
  7. tube — the underground
  8. land — a country
  9. pound — a weight
  10. rock — a stone
  11. rock — music
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. tube — a container
  14. tear — to rip
  15. land — to come down
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. sharp — clever
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — the tool
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. land — ground
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. sharp — exactly

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