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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: safe · tube · mouse · straw · root · charge · wound · game

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. charge — in control
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. charge — electricity
  6. root — the cause
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. charge — a price
  9. tube — the underground
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. tube — a container
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. wound — an injury
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. root — of a word
  16. game — wild animals
  17. wound — an injury
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. root — of a plant
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. game — a match
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. safe — out of danger

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