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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. kid — to tease
  4. can — to be able to
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. kid — child
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. key — the most important part
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. key — for a lock
  11. can — a tin
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. tear — from crying
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. craft — boats
  16. pound — a weight
  17. kick — in football
  18. key — in music
  19. can — a tin
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. tear — from crying
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. craft — a skill
  24. tear — to rip

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