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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. snap — to click
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. court — for sport
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. saw — the tool
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. pound — a weight
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. saw — the tool
  15. lean — thin
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. lean — to bend
  18. wind — moving air
  19. staff — a stick
  20. court — of law
  21. court — of a king
  22. staff — employees
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. staff — employees

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