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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: safe · rest · row · racket · coach · cap · squash · mate

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. cap — of ice
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. squash — the sport
  6. cap — a hat
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. mate — to breed
  10. squash — to crush
  11. rest — a break
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. rest — what's left
  15. cap — a lid
  16. mate — a friend
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. mate — a partner
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. row — to paddle
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. rest — what's left

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