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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. net — for catching
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. net — in sport
  15. net — after costs
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. pound — a weight
  18. safe — out of danger

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