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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. pop — soda
  3. cap — a lid
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. pop — to visit
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bound — obliged
  12. pop — music
  13. saw — the tool
  14. toast — bread
  15. bark — to shout
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. cap — a hat
  20. bound — certain
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. bound — tied together
  24. snap — to click

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