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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: swing · fan · safe · bulb · cap · hide · mouse · race

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  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. cap — a hat
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. swing — in golf
  5. cap — a lid
  6. race — a contest
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. swing — music
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. cap — of ice
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. race — humankind
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. bulb — for light
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. race — the arms race
  20. bulb — for light
  21. swing — to play on
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. mouse — the animal
  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