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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 120 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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. cap — a lid
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. march — music
  7. file — a tool
  8. file — a line of people
  9. rest — what's left
  10. cap — of ice
  11. stock — shares
  12. craft — a skill
  13. craft — boats
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. rest — what's left
  17. file — a document
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. stock — goods
  20. march — the month
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. rest — a break
  23. march — the month
  24. calf — of the leg

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