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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.

Make a worksheet

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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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. wound — an injury
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. cap — a hat
  9. scale — size or range
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. cap — a lid
  12. wound — an injury
  13. game — a match
  14. scale — in music
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. game — wild animals
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — the tool
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. lash — an eyelash

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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