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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. pound — a weight
  3. present — a gift
  4. spell — letters
  5. spell — a short time
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. net — in sport
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. plane — a tool
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. present — there
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. spell — magic
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. present — the time now
  20. net — after costs
  21. net — for catching
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. temple — a place of worship
  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