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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. rush — hurry
  3. drill — army training
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. wind — moving air
  6. drill — a practice
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. kick — in football
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. rule — government
  13. plane — a tool
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. drill — the tool
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. wind — moving air
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. rule — a law
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. pound — to hit hard

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