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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 120 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: march · bear · safe · can · wind · cap · track · lean

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. wind — moving air
  4. cap — a hat
  5. track — to keep track
  6. wind — moving air
  7. can — a tin
  8. cap — a lid
  9. lean — to bend
  10. can — a tin
  11. track — a song
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. lean — thin
  14. march — the month
  15. can — to be able to
  16. march — the month
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. bear — the animal
  21. cap — of ice
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. track — a path
  24. march — music

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