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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: rock · mate · tube · wind · safe · pound · straw · bowl

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. rock — music
  3. rock — a stone
  4. mate — a partner
  5. tube — the underground
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. pound — a weight
  16. wind — moving air
  17. mate — a friend
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. tube — a container
  21. mate — to breed
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wind — to turn a key

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