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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: mate · cell · kick · present · safe · bowl · cold · tube

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. kick — in football
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. mate — to breed
  7. mate — a partner
  8. cell — in biology
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. cold — an illness
  13. present — there
  14. cold — not warm
  15. present — a gift
  16. present — the time now
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. tube — the underground
  19. cell — a phone
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. tube — a container
  24. mate — a friend

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