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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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 — out of danger
  4. object — to protest
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. lean — to bend
  7. pound — a weight
  8. chest — of your body
  9. march — the month
  10. root — of a word
  11. march — music
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. root — of a plant
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. chest — a box
  16. object — a thing
  17. lean — thin
  18. root — the cause
  19. march — the month
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. foot — a measure
  23. chest — of your body
  24. pound — for dogs

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