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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 116 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: pop · safe · rush · calf · tube · cabinet · tear · content

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. tear — from crying
  7. pop — soda
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. tube — a container
  11. pop — to visit
  12. tear — to rip
  13. rush — hurry
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. tear — from crying
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. content — the amount
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. content — happy
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. pop — music

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