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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: safe · pound · rest · cap · press · mouse · pop · roll

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rest — a break
  4. roll — a cake
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. pop — music
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. press — to push
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. cap — of ice
  13. press — a publisher
  14. cap — a lid
  15. roll — a list
  16. press — newspapers
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. pop — to visit
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. pound — a weight
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. pop — soda
  23. cap — a hat
  24. rest — what's left

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