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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. mate — to breed
  3. saw — the tool
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. saw — the tool
  6. pound — a weight
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. scale — size or range
  9. drill — the tool
  10. pass — a permit
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. drill — army training
  13. bound — certain
  14. scale — in music
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. bound — obliged
  17. mate — a friend
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. bound — tied together
  20. mate — a partner
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. drill — a practice
  24. safe — out of danger

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