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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: safe · cold · bay · cue · drill · pop · fall · bank

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. cold — an illness
  3. drill — a practice
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. drill — the tool
  7. pop — music
  8. cue — a hint
  9. bank — for money
  10. cue — for pool
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. pop — to visit
  14. bank — for money
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. fall — the season
  17. fall — to drop
  18. pop — soda
  19. fall — to drop
  20. drill — army training
  21. cue — a signal
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. cold — not warm
  24. safe — out of danger

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