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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: cell · cold · roll · rule · safe · object · track · mark

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  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. track — a path
  2. cold — not warm
  3. cell — in biology
  4. cell — a phone
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. mark — a trace
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. track — to keep track
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. roll — a cake
  12. object — an aim
  13. rule — government
  14. rule — a law
  15. object — to protest
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. roll — a list
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. cold — an illness
  20. object — a thing
  21. track — a song
  22. mark — a grade
  23. cell — in a prison
  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