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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: file · cap · coach · safe · clip · squash · fall · deal

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. file — a line of people
  4. fall — to drop
  5. cap — a lid
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. deal — to handle
  8. fall — to drop
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. squash — the sport
  12. fall — the season
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. cap — of ice
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. file — a document
  18. clip — to cut
  19. clip — a video
  20. squash — to crush
  21. file — a tool
  22. cap — a hat
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. clip — for paper

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