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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: wound · fine · hand · safe · tube · ground · rush · spell

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  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. fine — all right
  3. ground — the earth
  4. hand — in cards
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. ground — crushed
  7. spell — a short time
  8. ground — a position
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. hand — help
  11. wound — an injury
  12. spell — letters
  13. wound — an injury
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. tube — the underground
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. tube — a container
  18. rush — hurry
  19. spell — magic
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. fine — high quality
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. tube — in a tire

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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