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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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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: land · tube · firm · cell · safe · rash · bay · stick

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. land — to come down
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. tube — a container
  6. land — a country
  7. land — ground
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. rash — hasty
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. tube — the underground
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. cell — in biology
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. firm — a company
  20. firm — decided
  21. cell — a phone
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. rash — a series
  24. firm — steady

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