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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: tube · fork · kid · bound · shower · safe · prune · mark

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. mark — a grade
  4. shower — to wash
  5. kid — to tease
  6. shower — rain
  7. tube — the underground
  8. mark — a trace
  9. tube — a container
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. bound — certain
  13. bound — tied together
  14. prune — to trim
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. bound — obliged
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. fork — in a road
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. kid — child
  24. safe — out of danger

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