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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: tear · hand · ball · degree · safe · tube · current · toast

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. ball — a dance
  3. toast — bread
  4. hand — in cards
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. degree — an amount
  7. degree — temperature
  8. current — happening now
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. tube — a container
  11. ball — a great time
  12. current — of water
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. hand — help
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. tear — from crying
  17. current — electric
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. tear — from crying
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. tear — to rip
  22. degree — from a university
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. ball — a round shape

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