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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. lean — thin
  3. file — a document
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. lean — to bend
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. bear — the animal
  14. dip — to sink
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. file — a line of people
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. file — a tool
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. bear — the animal
  21. fine — all right
  22. fine — high quality
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. safe — a strongbox

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