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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. object — an aim
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. race — a contest
  9. bound — tied together
  10. object — a thing
  11. pound — a weight
  12. race — the arms race
  13. pass — a permit
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. bound — certain
  16. object — to protest
  17. rule — government
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. rule — a law
  21. bound — obliged
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. race — humankind
  24. rule — to rule out

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