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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. charge — electricity
  4. clip — for paper
  5. game — wild animals
  6. charge — a price
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. pit — in a race
  9. pound — a weight
  10. firm — decided
  11. firm — steady
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. pit — a hole
  16. clip — to cut
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. charge — in control
  19. plane — a tool
  20. game — a match
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. clip — a video
  23. firm — a company
  24. pound — to hit hard

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