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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: present · band · deal · mate · chest · plane · tube · safe

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. mate — to breed
  5. mate — a partner
  6. present — a gift
  7. chest — of your body
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. plane — a tool
  10. chest — a box
  11. present — the time now
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. chest — of your body
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. band — a music group
  19. mate — a friend
  20. present — there
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. tube — the underground
  23. tube — a container
  24. deal — to handle

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