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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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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: race · pound · pit · tube · mouse · safe · face · saw

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. pit — a hole
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. saw — the tool
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. pound — a weight
  9. face — to confront
  10. face — to point toward
  11. tube — a container
  12. race — humankind
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. saw — the tool
  19. race — the arms race
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. tube — the underground
  22. face — part of the head
  23. race — a contest
  24. pit — in a race

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