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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 · rock · safe · file · staff · bound · kick · bass

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. rock — a stone
  3. staff — employees
  4. file — a line of people
  5. bound — tied together
  6. cold — an illness
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. bound — obliged
  9. kick — in football
  10. bound — certain
  11. file — a tool
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. rock — music
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. file — a document
  19. staff — employees
  20. cold — not warm
  21. staff — a stick
  22. bass — the fish
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. bass — low music

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