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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. cap — of ice
  3. bank — for money
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. fall — the season
  8. sharp — clever
  9. mate — a friend
  10. cap — a hat
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. fall — to drop
  13. fall — to drop
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. mate — to breed
  17. bank — of a river
  18. field — for sport
  19. cap — a lid
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. mate — a partner
  22. field — farmland
  23. bank — for money
  24. field — a subject

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