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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. cap — a lid
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. swing — music
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. tube — the underground
  11. tube — a container
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. swing — in golf
  15. lie — to recline
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. swing — to play on
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. cap — of ice

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