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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 · cap · safe · fall · chip · stick · pound · wound

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. wound — an injury
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. cap — of ice
  9. chip — for betting
  10. bear — the animal
  11. fall — the season
  12. chip — to eat
  13. wound — an injury
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. pound — a weight
  17. cap — a hat
  18. bear — the animal
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. fall — to drop
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. fall — to drop
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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