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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. cap — a lid
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. band — a music group
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. march — music
  8. present — the time now
  9. march — the month
  10. fork — in a road
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. band — a ring
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. march — the month
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. present — there
  21. present — a gift
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. cap — of ice
  24. cap — a hat

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