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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. chip — to eat
  4. cap — a lid
  5. cap — of ice
  6. bass — low music
  7. can — a tin
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. can — a tin
  10. face — to confront
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. cue — a signal
  13. face — to point toward
  14. face — part of the head
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bass — the fish
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. chip — for betting
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. cap — a hat
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. cue — for pool
  24. can — to be able to

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