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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 · band · tube · wound · rest · mate · content · calf

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. rest — what's left
  3. tube — the underground
  4. band — a music group
  5. wound — an injury
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. wound — an injury
  8. rest — what's left
  9. content — happy
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. tube — a container
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. mate — a partner
  18. band — a ring
  19. mate — a friend
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. rest — a break
  22. content — the amount
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. mate — to breed

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