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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
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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: cabinet · content · rock · pop · safe · wind · mine · cold

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. mine — for digging
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. pop — soda
  7. pop — to visit
  8. content — the amount
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. rock — a stone
  11. cold — not warm
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. wind — moving air
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. cold — an illness
  17. rock — music
  18. pop — music
  19. content — happy
  20. wind — moving air
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. safe — a strongbox

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