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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 · last · bear · safe · band · deal · kid · bat

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bat — the animal
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. kid — to tease
  5. band — a ring
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. kid — child
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. tube — a container
  12. last — finally
  13. bear — the animal
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. last — final
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. tube — the underground
  20. deal — to handle
  21. band — a music group
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. last — to go on
  24. deal — a big deal

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