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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. cap — of ice
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. tube — the underground
  5. present — there
  6. hand — help
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. cap — a hat
  12. kick — in football
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. tube — a container
  15. cap — a lid
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. hand — in cards
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. present — the time now
  22. present — a gift
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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