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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. cell — a phone
  3. suit — in cards
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. fine — all right
  7. face — to confront
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. date — the fruit
  10. face — to point toward
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. suit — clothes
  14. face — part of the head
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. kid — to tease
  17. cell — in biology
  18. fine — high quality
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. kid — child
  23. suit — to fit
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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