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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: fall · present · cap · fine · mine · kick · wound · safe

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. cap — a lid
  4. mine — for digging
  5. fall — to drop
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. present — a gift
  8. wound — an injury
  9. kick — in football
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. cap — of ice
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. fine — high quality
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fine — all right
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. cap — a hat
  20. wound — an injury
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. present — there
  23. present — the time now
  24. fine — a penalty

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