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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 · cap · club · saw · wake · dip · file · toast

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. toast — bread
  3. dip — to sink
  4. file — a line of people
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. club — for dancing
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. file — a document
  9. saw — the tool
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. file — a tool
  12. cap — of ice
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. club — a group
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. wake — a trail
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. saw — the tool
  21. cap — a hat
  22. club — for golf
  23. cap — a lid
  24. safe — a strongbox

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