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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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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: safe · cold · swing · mug · stick · cap · bore · bear

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. swing — in golf
  4. cold — not warm
  5. cap — a hat
  6. mug — to rob
  7. swing — music
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. cold — an illness
  11. cap — of ice
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. swing — to play on
  14. bore — to tire
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bore — to drill
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — the animal
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. mug — a cup
  24. mug — a face

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