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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. cold — an illness
  3. pop — to visit
  4. cap — of ice
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. wound — an injury
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. foot — a measure
  9. cold — not warm
  10. current — electric
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. cap — a hat
  13. pop — soda
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. current — of water
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. current — happening now
  19. pop — music
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. cap — a lid
  22. wound — an injury
  23. pit — a hole
  24. pit — in a race

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