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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: leaves · spell · bat · nail · safe · jam · cap · land

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. cap — of ice
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. cap — a hat
  7. spell — magic
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. spell — letters
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. cap — a lid
  13. land — to come down
  14. spell — a short time
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. land — a country
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. land — ground
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. leaves — to go away

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