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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 120 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: safe · tube · hand · band · pop · hide · wake · ball

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. hand — in cards
  6. pop — soda
  7. tube — a container
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. wake — a trail
  11. ball — a dance
  12. pop — music
  13. band — a ring
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. band — a music group
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. pop — to visit
  20. hand — help
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. ball — a great time
  24. safe — out of danger

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