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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: bound · lash · rush · tube · hide · trunk · safe · sharp

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. tube — the underground
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. bound — certain
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. tube — a container
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. bound — obliged
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. bound — tied together
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. sharp — clever
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. safe — a strongbox

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