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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 · key · snap · cap · row · foot · safe · march

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. march — music
  4. foot — a measure
  5. key — in music
  6. march — the month
  7. cap — a hat
  8. key — the most important part
  9. file — a line of people
  10. march — the month
  11. file — a document
  12. row — to paddle
  13. cap — of ice
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. snap — to click
  16. key — for a lock
  17. file — a tool
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. cap — a lid
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. row — a line
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. row — a quarrel

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