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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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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: coach · safe · cap · content · deal · fork · wound · lie

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. wound — an injury
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. fork — in a road
  8. cap — a lid
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. lie — to recline
  13. content — happy
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. wound — an injury
  18. cap — of ice
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. content — the amount
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. deal — to handle

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