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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: bay · rule · lash · sharp · tube · deal · mine · safe

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. mine — for digging
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. tube — a container
  5. rule — government
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. tube — the underground
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. rule — a law
  17. sharp — clever
  18. deal — to handle
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. deal — a big deal

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