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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 116 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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. rock — a stone
  4. band — a music group
  5. pit — in a race
  6. band — a ring
  7. chip — to eat
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. chip — for betting
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. rock — music
  15. shower — rain
  16. shower — to wash
  17. bound — certain
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. cap — a hat
  20. cap — a lid
  21. pit — a hole
  22. cap — of ice
  23. bound — obliged
  24. rock — to move gently

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