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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 · wind · current · snap · chest · tube · leaves · ball

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. tube — the underground
  3. wind — moving air
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. chest — of your body
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. tube — a container
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. current — of water
  14. ball — a great time
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. chest — of your body
  17. current — electric
  18. ball — a dance
  19. wind — moving air
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. chest — a box
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. current — happening now
  24. snap — to click

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