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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: safe · mark · cap · fan · coach · file · wake · bulb

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. file — a line of people
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. cap — of ice
  7. wake — a trail
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bulb — for light
  12. mark — a trace
  13. cap — a lid
  14. bulb — for light
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. file — a document
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. file — a tool
  21. cap — a hat
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. mark — a grade

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