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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 120 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. branch — a division
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. bark — to shout
  17. rush — hurry
  18. pound — a weight

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