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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 116 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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. bore — to tire
  6. rest — a break
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. pit — in a race
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. mine — for digging
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. rest — what's left
  14. shower — rain
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. bore — to drill
  17. rest — what's left
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. pound — a weight
  22. pit — a hole
  23. chair — a leader
  24. shower — to wash

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