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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: can · safe · fan · game · fall · toast · cold · cap

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. can — a tin
  3. cap — a hat
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. toast — bread
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. cold — not warm
  8. can — a tin
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. cap — a lid
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. fall — the season
  14. game — wild animals
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. can — to be able to
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. game — a match
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fan — a supporter
  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