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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
468
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: rock · safe · cap · temple · game · ball · file · rash

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. game — wild animals
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. cap — a hat
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. file — a line of people
  10. ball — a great time
  11. rock — a stone
  12. file — a tool
  13. game — a match
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. cap — a lid
  16. cap — of ice
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. file — a document
  19. ball — a dance
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. rash — a series
  23. rock — music
  24. safe — out of danger

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