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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. bank — for money
  5. staff — a stick
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. staff — employees
  8. file — a document
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. file — a tool
  11. bank — for money
  12. cap — a lid
  13. fine — all right
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. bank — of a river
  17. cap — of ice
  18. staff — employees
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. fine — high quality
  22. file — a line of people
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. chair — a leader

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