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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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Word bank
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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: roll · cap · safe · file · game · bay

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. cap — a lid
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. file — a line of people
  5. file — a document
  6. cap — a hat
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. file — a tool
  9. game — a match
  10. roll — a list
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. cap — of ice
  17. roll — a cake
  18. game — wild animals

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