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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. cap — a lid
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. chest — of your body
  6. present — a gift
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. present — the time now
  9. cap — a hat
  10. present — there
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. ground — crushed
  13. chest — of your body
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. ground — a position
  17. chest — a box
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. pass — a permit
  20. cap — of ice
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. ground — the earth
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. racket — for tennis

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