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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.

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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. spring — the season
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. cap — a hat
  9. march — music
  10. key — the most important part
  11. spring — of water
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. spring — a coil
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. rush — hurry
  18. cap — a lid
  19. key — in music
  20. sharp — clever
  21. march — the month
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. march — the month
  24. key — for a lock

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