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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: tube · racket · craft · cap · swing · safe · spring · temple

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. swing — to play on
  3. tube — a container
  4. swing — music
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. spring — of water
  7. craft — a skill
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. cap — of ice
  13. spring — the season
  14. cap — a lid
  15. craft — boats
  16. swing — in golf
  17. spring — a coil
  18. tube — the underground
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. cap — a hat
  24. temple — side of the head

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