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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: pop · hand · mug · row · net · dip · safe · cell

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. mug — a cup
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. dip — to sink
  6. row — a line
  7. row — to paddle
  8. pop — soda
  9. mug — a face
  10. net — after costs
  11. pop — to visit
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. hand — in cards
  15. cell — a phone
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. mug — to rob
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. hand — help
  20. net — for catching
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. cell — in biology
  24. net — in sport

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