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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 120 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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. shower — rain
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. pop — to visit
  8. pop — music
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. wake — a trail
  11. chest — of your body
  12. cue — a signal
  13. shower — to wash
  14. cap — a lid
  15. chest — of your body
  16. dip — to sink
  17. chest — a box
  18. cap — of ice
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. cap — a hat
  21. cue — for pool
  22. cue — a hint
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. dip — a sauce

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