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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.

Make a worksheet

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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. 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. mine — for digging
  2. root — the cause
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. cap — a hat
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. net — after costs
  7. root — of a plant
  8. net — in sport
  9. cap — of ice
  10. root — of a word
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. chest — of your body
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. chest — of your body
  15. cap — a lid
  16. chest — a box
  17. net — for catching
  18. 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