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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. rest — what's left
  3. file — a document
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. season — of the year
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. file — a line of people
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. cap — a lid
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. cap — a hat
  14. file — a tool
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. fine — high quality
  17. cap — of ice
  18. season — in sport
  19. fine — all right
  20. rest — what's left
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. rest — a break

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