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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: lean · sharp · fork · tube · safe · cap · band · drill

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. tube — the underground
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. drill — a practice
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. cap — of ice
  10. band — a music group
  11. lean — to bend
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. sharp — clever
  14. fork — in a road
  15. drill — army training
  16. lean — thin
  17. band — a ring
  18. cap — a lid
  19. tube — a container
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. cap — a hat
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. drill — the tool

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