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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 · spell · straw · land · tube · hand · bound · board

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. land — a country
  3. bound — obliged
  4. board — a committee
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. bound — certain
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. land — ground
  9. land — to come down
  10. spell — magic
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. tube — a container
  13. board — to get on
  14. spell — letters
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. bound — tied together
  19. hand — help
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. spell — a short time
  22. tube — the underground
  23. hand — in cards
  24. tube — in a tire

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