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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: cap · safe · season · stem · cold · lean · pitch · mug

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. cap — of ice
  3. lean — thin
  4. stem — to come from
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. mug — to rob
  7. season — of the year
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. cold — an illness
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. cold — not warm
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. lean — to bend
  16. pitch — completely
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. mug — a face
  20. cap — a lid
  21. season — in sport
  22. cap — a hat
  23. mug — a cup
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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