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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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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: swing · track · ruler · safe · cap · face · bulb · mine

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. track — a song
  3. track — to keep track
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. cap — a lid
  7. cap — a hat
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bulb — for light
  10. swing — in golf
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. bulb — for light
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. face — part of the head
  17. track — a path
  18. swing — to play on
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. face — to point toward
  21. swing — music
  22. cap — of ice
  23. mine — for digging
  24. face — to confront

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