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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: safe · hand · file · can · bowl · net · wound · cap

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. cap — a hat
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. can — a tin
  8. cap — a lid
  9. can — a tin
  10. net — for catching
  11. wound — an injury
  12. hand — in cards
  13. file — a tool
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. wound — an injury
  17. can — to be able to
  18. file — a document
  19. hand — help
  20. net — after costs
  21. net — in sport
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. cap — of ice
  24. file — a line of people

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