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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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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: bay · wake · fall · safe · cap · pitcher · arm · spring

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. spring — a coil
  3. spring — of water
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. wake — a trail
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. fall — to drop
  11. spring — the season
  12. cap — a lid
  13. fall — the season
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. cap — of ice
  20. fall — to drop
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. arm — a part of something

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