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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.

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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. mine — for digging
  3. tear — from crying
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. cap — of ice
  6. face — to confront
  7. face — part of the head
  8. cap — a lid
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. cell — in biology
  14. face — to point toward
  15. branch — a division
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cap — a hat
  18. tear — from crying
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. cell — a phone
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. tear — to rip

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