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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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. rash — a series
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. deal — to handle
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. cap — a hat
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. cap — a lid
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. cap — of ice
  22. rash — hasty
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. kick — in football

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