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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. last — final
  3. cap — a hat
  4. key — for a lock
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. cap — a lid
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. rest — a break
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. cap — of ice
  12. rest — what's left
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. key — in music
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. rest — what's left
  19. last — finally
  20. mug — a face
  21. key — the most important part
  22. mug — a cup
  23. last — to go on
  24. mug — to rob

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