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

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. date — the fruit
  6. cap — a hat
  7. scale — in music
  8. press — newspapers
  9. cap — a lid
  10. cold — not warm
  11. cap — of ice
  12. press — to push
  13. rush — hurry
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. scale — size or range
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. press — a publisher
  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