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

Word bank: pound · race · tear · can · cap · safe

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. race — the arms race
  3. race — a contest
  4. tear — from crying
  5. can — to be able to
  6. can — a tin
  7. cap — a lid
  8. tear — from crying
  9. race — humankind
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. can — a tin
  12. cap — a hat
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. tear — to rip
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. cap — of ice
  18. pound — a weight

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