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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: mug · safe · cell · race · stick · track · pop · tube

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. race — the arms race
  4. mug — a cup
  5. pop — soda
  6. race — a contest
  7. pop — to visit
  8. mug — to rob
  9. cell — a phone
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. pop — music
  14. track — to keep track
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. track — a song
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. track — a path
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. cell — in biology
  22. race — humankind
  23. tube — the underground
  24. mug — a face

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