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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: cold · rule · present · rock · can · safe · pop · fall

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. rule — government
  3. cold — not warm
  4. can — a tin
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. present — there
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. rock — music
  10. fall — to drop
  11. rock — a stone
  12. fall — the season
  13. cold — an illness
  14. can — to be able to
  15. can — a tin
  16. present — the time now
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. pop — soda
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. rule — a law
  21. fall — to drop
  22. present — a gift
  23. pop — music
  24. pop — to visit

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