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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 · row · fall · cap · file · firm · snap · season

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. file — a tool
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. season — of the year
  5. firm — a company
  6. cap — a hat
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. row — a line
  9. snap — to click
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. fall — to drop
  12. firm — steady
  13. fall — to drop
  14. file — a document
  15. fall — the season
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. cap — a lid
  18. file — a line of people
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. row — to paddle
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. firm — decided
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. season — in sport

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