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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: safe · firm · land · tube · cap · press · board · cabinet

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. land — a country
  4. firm — a company
  5. firm — steady
  6. press — to push
  7. cap — of ice
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. firm — decided
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. land — ground
  12. cap — a hat
  13. tube — the underground
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. press — newspapers
  16. board — a committee
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. land — to come down
  20. press — a publisher
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. board — to get on
  23. cap — a lid
  24. tube — a container

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