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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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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. cap — a hat
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. mug — to rob
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. current — of water
  12. sharp — clever
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. plane — a tool
  15. current — electric
  16. cap — a lid
  17. current — happening now
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. capital — money
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. mug — a cup
  23. mug — a face
  24. capital — a city

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