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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 116 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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. pop — soda
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. mug — a cup
  5. object — to protest
  6. pop — to visit
  7. object — an aim
  8. stock — goods
  9. cell — a phone
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. mug — to rob
  12. mug — a face
  13. rest — what's left
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. face — to point toward
  16. face — to confront
  17. cell — in biology
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. face — part of the head
  20. rest — a break
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. rest — what's left
  23. stock — shares
  24. object — a thing

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