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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: safe · swing · race · fan · leaves · cap · bore · pound

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. 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. bore — gave birth
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. cap — of ice
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. race — a contest
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. bore — to tire
  9. swing — in golf
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. swing — to play on
  14. cap — a hat
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. cap — a lid
  17. swing — music
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. race — the arms race
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. race — humankind
  23. bore — to drill
  24. 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