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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 · pit · cap · file · trunk · coach · can · kid

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. cap — a lid
  3. can — to be able to
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. can — a tin
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. file — a tool
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. can — a tin
  12. kid — child
  13. cap — of ice
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. pit — in a race
  17. file — a document
  18. cap — a hat
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. pit — a hole
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. file — a line of people
  24. kid — to tease

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