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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 120 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 · suit · calf · snap · tube · mark · land · tear

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. land — a country
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. suit — to fit
  5. tear — from crying
  6. mark — a trace
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. land — to come down
  10. suit — clothes
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. mark — a grade
  13. tube — the underground
  14. snap — to click
  15. tube — a container
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. land — ground
  18. tear — to rip
  19. suit — in cards
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. calf — a young animal

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