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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: cabinet · bass · snap · deal · pound · safe · tube · temple

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  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. cabinet — ministers
  3. tube — a container
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. bass — low music
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. snap — to click
  12. bass — the fish
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. pound — a weight
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. deal — to handle
  22. tube — the underground
  23. temple — a place of worship
  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