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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: temple · pit · track · last · safe · can · cold · rule

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. pit — a hole
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. track — a song
  6. rule — government
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. track — to keep track
  9. can — a tin
  10. cold — not warm
  11. cold — an illness
  12. last — final
  13. can — to be able to
  14. pit — in a race
  15. last — finally
  16. can — a tin
  17. last — to go on
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. track — a path
  21. rule — a law
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. temple — side of the head

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