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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. net — in sport
  5. lean — thin
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. mine — for digging
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — to be able to
  13. can — a tin
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. pound — a weight
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. chair — a leader
  18. net — for catching
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. net — after costs
  22. lean — to bend
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. lean — to rest against

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