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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. cue — a hint
  4. spring — a coil
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. spring — the season
  11. stand — to bear
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. spring — of water
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. pound — a weight
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. rock — a stone
  19. cold — an illness
  20. cue — a signal
  21. cue — for pool
  22. cold — not warm
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. rock — music

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