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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: file · game · firm · cold · last · dip · mug · safe

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. game — wild animals
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. firm — a company
  5. file — a document
  6. mug — a face
  7. mug — a cup
  8. dip — to sink
  9. file — a tool
  10. firm — decided
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. mug — to rob
  13. game — a match
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. last — finally
  16. firm — steady
  17. last — final
  18. cold — an illness
  19. cold — not warm
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. last — to go on
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. file — a line of people
  24. safe — a strongbox

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