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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bear · pit · cell · rule · safe · mug

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. cell — in biology
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. mug — a cup
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. rule — a law
  8. pit — a hole
  9. mug — to rob
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. pit — in a race
  14. cell — a phone
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bear — the animal
  17. rule — government
  18. safe — out of danger

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