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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: tube · hand · rest · bulb · tear · can · safe · wound

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. can — a tin
  3. rest — what's left
  4. can — a tin
  5. tube — a container
  6. tear — to rip
  7. rest — a break
  8. hand — in cards
  9. bulb — for light
  10. wound — an injury
  11. rest — what's left
  12. tear — from crying
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. hand — help
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. tube — the underground
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. tear — from crying
  19. bulb — for light
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. wound — an injury
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. can — to be able to

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