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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: safe · can · ball · chest · wound · tube · stock · firm

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. tube — a container
  3. firm — decided
  4. firm — a company
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. can — to be able to
  7. ball — a great time
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. wound — an injury
  10. can — a tin
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. wound — an injury
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. chest — a box
  15. ball — a dance
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. firm — steady
  18. stock — shares
  19. chest — of your body
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. can — a tin
  22. stock — goods
  23. tube — the underground
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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