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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: bowl · tube · track · snap · net · safe · wind · bore

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. net — in sport
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. track — to keep track
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. wind — moving air
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. track — a path
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. track — a song
  14. bore — to drill
  15. net — for catching
  16. wind — moving air
  17. bore — to tire
  18. net — after costs
  19. tube — the underground
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. snap — to click
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. tube — a container

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