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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: cabinet · clip · dip · safe · cap · game · racket · lie

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. cap — of ice
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. clip — to cut
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. clip — for paper
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. game — wild animals
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cap — a hat
  18. lie — to recline
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. dip — to sink
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. clip — a video
  24. game — a match

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