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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: rule · swing · cap · cell · safe · pit · wax · temple

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. pit — in a race
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. cap — a hat
  5. cell — a phone
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. pit — a hole
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. swing — in golf
  11. wax — to grow
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. cap — a lid
  14. rule — a law
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. rule — government
  19. cap — of ice
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. swing — music
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. swing — to play on

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