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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 120 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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. suit — to fit
  4. snap — to click
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. kid — child
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. suit — in cards
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. ground — a position
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. ground — the earth
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. pound — a weight
  18. foot — a measure
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. kid — to tease
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. fork — in a road
  24. suit — clothes

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