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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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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. rock — music
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. can — a tin
  7. pound — a weight
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. shower — to wash
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. rock — a stone
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — to be able to
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. shower — rain

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