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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. cap — of ice
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. squash — to crush
  6. net — for catching
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. net — after costs
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. bulb — for light
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. bulb — for light
  13. wind — moving air
  14. wind — moving air
  15. net — in sport
  16. squash — the sport
  17. pit — a hole
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. cap — a lid
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. cap — a hat
  22. pit — in a race
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wound — an injury

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