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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. can — to be able to
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. can — a tin
  7. rash — a series
  8. rest — what's left
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. can — a tin
  11. cell — in biology
  12. bore — to tire
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. pound — a weight
  15. degree — temperature
  16. rash — hasty
  17. degree — from a university
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. degree — an amount
  20. rest — a break
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. cell — a phone
  23. rest — what's left
  24. bore — to drill

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