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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. cap — a hat
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. lie — to recline
  10. cap — of ice
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. wound — an injury
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. plane — a tool
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. tube — a container
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. wound — an injury
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. cap — a lid
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. tube — the underground

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