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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. wake — a trail
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. mine — for digging
  5. cap — of ice
  6. key — for a lock
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. cap — a hat
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. stock — goods
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. season — of the year
  16. key — the most important part
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. season — in sport
  20. key — in music
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. kick — in football
  23. stock — shares
  24. cap — a lid

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