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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cold · ruler · stem · safe · track · pass · pound · snap

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. cold — not warm
  3. track — a song
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. cold — an illness
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. pass — a permit
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. stem — to come from
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. pound — a weight
  20. snap — to click
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. track — to keep track
  23. track — a path
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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