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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 120 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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. lean — thin
  4. lean — to bend
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. rash — hasty
  9. pop — to visit
  10. pop — music
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. wound — an injury
  13. pound — a weight
  14. rash — a series
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. chest — a box
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. chest — of your body
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. pop — soda
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. chest — of your body

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