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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. firm — a company
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. ground — a position
  7. firm — decided
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. firm — steady
  11. pop — to visit
  12. ground — the earth
  13. pop — music
  14. ground — crushed
  15. cold — an illness
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. pop — soda
  19. cold — not warm
  20. cell — in biology
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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