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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
468
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: tube · game · bark · cap · fall · rash · safe · present

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. tube — the underground
  5. rash — a series
  6. fall — the season
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. rash — hasty
  9. present — the time now
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. bark — to shout
  12. present — there
  13. game — a match
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. cap — a lid
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fall — to drop
  20. game — wild animals
  21. tube — a container
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. present — a gift
  24. cap — of ice

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