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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 · safe · cold · ground · rush · plane · stem · deal

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  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. pop — music
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. ground — the earth
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. ground — a position
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. deal — to handle
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. rush — hurry
  15. ground — crushed
  16. stem — to come from
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. pop — soda
  19. cold — an illness
  20. plane — a tool
  21. pop — to visit
  22. cold — not warm
  23. deal — an agreement
  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