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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: prune · chest · safe · land · current · toast · cap · coach

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. current — electric
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. prune — to trim
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. land — a country
  12. land — to come down
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. chest — a box
  15. chest — of your body
  16. current — happening now
  17. current — of water
  18. land — ground
  19. cap — of ice
  20. chest — of your body
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. prune — to trim
  23. cap — a hat
  24. toast — bread

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