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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 120 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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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: pit · bore · land · cap · safe · dip · straw · race

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. land — to come down
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. cap — a lid
  5. land — ground
  6. dip — to sink
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. pit — in a race
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. race — a contest
  14. race — humankind
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. cap — a hat
  17. race — the arms race
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. bore — to drill
  20. land — a country
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. cap — of ice
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. bore — to tire

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