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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. row — a line
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. fall — to drop
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. fall — the season
  10. bound — tied together
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. pound — a weight
  13. bound — certain
  14. rest — what's left
  15. bear — the animal
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. bound — obliged
  18. row — to paddle
  19. rest — a break
  20. rest — what's left
  21. fall — to drop
  22. bear — the animal
  23. chip — for betting
  24. chip — to eat

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