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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: safe · pop · rash · cabinet · lean · tube · firm · stock

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. tube — a container
  3. lean — thin
  4. firm — steady
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. pop — music
  8. firm — decided
  9. rash — a series
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. lean — to bend
  12. tube — the underground
  13. pop — to visit
  14. rash — hasty
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. firm — a company
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. pop — soda
  19. stock — goods
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. stock — shares
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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