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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. ground — the earth
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. ground — crushed
  5. bank — for money
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. cue — a signal
  8. lean — thin
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. pop — soda
  11. lean — to bend
  12. cue — a hint
  13. pop — to visit
  14. ground — a position
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. cell — a phone
  17. cue — for pool
  18. cold — an illness
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. cell — in biology
  21. bank — for money
  22. bank — of a river
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. cold — not warm

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