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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — to be able to
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. pop — music
  8. mark — a trace
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. wind — moving air
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. wind — moving air
  13. rest — what's left
  14. pop — soda
  15. ground — crushed
  16. mark — a grade
  17. ground — a position
  18. pop — to visit
  19. rush — hurry
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. rest — what's left
  22. ground — the earth
  23. can — a tin
  24. rest — a break

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