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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. pound — a weight
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. bark — to shout
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. clip — to cut
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. fine — high quality
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. lean — to bend
  17. clip — for paper
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. fine — all right
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. dip — to sink
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. clip — a video

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