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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. cap — a lid
  4. rock — a stone
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. cap — a hat
  7. rock — music
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. rash — hasty
  13. craft — a skill
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. cap — of ice
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. craft — boats
  19. rash — a series
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. tear — to rip
  23. tear — from crying
  24. tear — from crying

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