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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. ground — the earth
  3. chest — a box
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. pop — soda
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. pop — music
  11. pop — to visit
  12. mark — a grade
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. ground — crushed
  15. ground — a position
  16. mark — a trace
  17. chest — of your body
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. pass — a permit
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. mine — for digging

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