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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 124 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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. last — final
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. cap — a hat
  5. cap — of ice
  6. last — to go on
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. pit — a hole
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. track — a song
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. track — to keep track
  13. last — finally
  14. cap — a lid
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. track — a path
  18. charge — in control
  19. charge — electricity
  20. pit — in a race
  21. charge — a price
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. game — a match
  24. game — wild animals

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