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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 reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. bound — certain
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bulb — for light
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. bass — low music
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. cold — not warm
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. bass — the fish
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. ground — the earth
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. cold — an illness
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. ground — crushed
  22. bulb — for light
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. ground — a position

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