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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 116 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: current · hand · bat · bore · race · firm · tube · safe

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. race — the arms race
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. current — of water
  7. current — electric
  8. bore — to tire
  9. current — happening now
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. firm — decided
  12. bat — the animal
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. firm — steady
  16. hand — in cards
  17. bore — to drill
  18. tube — a container
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. hand — help
  21. race — humankind
  22. race — a contest
  23. tube — the underground
  24. bat — in an idiom

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