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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: safe · cap · present · wind · rush · mug · season · mark

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. cap — a hat
  3. rush — hurry
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. present — the time now
  10. wind — moving air
  11. cap — of ice
  12. present — a gift
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. season — of the year
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. mug — a face
  18. present — there
  19. mug — a cup
  20. season — in sport
  21. mug — to rob
  22. cap — a lid
  23. wind — moving air
  24. mark — a trace

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