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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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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: safe · lean · pop · rest · toast · capital · dip · jam

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. rest — what's left
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. rest — what's left
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. rest — a break
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. pop — soda
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. toast — bread
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. capital — money
  19. lean — to bend
  20. capital — a city
  21. pop — music
  22. dip — to sink
  23. lean — thin
  24. capital — a big letter

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