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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. swing — music
  4. fork — in a road
  5. dip — to sink
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. present — a gift
  8. cap — a hat
  9. file — a document
  10. cap — of ice
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. swing — in golf
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. cap — a lid
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. present — there
  18. present — the time now
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. swing — to play on
  21. file — a tool
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. file — a line of people

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