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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. can — to be able to
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. pound — a weight
  12. mate — a friend
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. mine — for digging
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. can — a tin
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. branch — a division
  20. chair — a leader
  21. mate — a partner
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. mate — to breed
  24. can — a tin

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