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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: leaves · cap · lash · kick · safe · object · cold · band

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. band — a ring
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. cap — a hat
  6. cold — not warm
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. cold — an illness
  9. cap — of ice
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. object — an aim
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. object — a thing
  17. object — to protest
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. cap — a lid
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. band — a music group
  24. kick — a thrill

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