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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: tube · pop · staff · safe · board · date · race · wave

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. staff — employees
  3. tube — a container
  4. pop — soda
  5. race — a contest
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. date — the fruit
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. tube — the underground
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. race — humankind
  17. board — a committee
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. staff — employees
  20. pop — to visit
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. board — to get on
  23. race — the arms race
  24. staff — a stick

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