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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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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: track · safe · wave · mine · chair · bear · tube · lash

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. bear — the animal
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. tube — a container
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. chair — a leader
  10. track — a song
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. tube — the underground
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. track — to keep track
  18. mine — for digging
  19. track — a path
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. bear — the 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