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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 116 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 that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. pound — a weight
  3. mug — to rob
  4. drill — army training
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. mug — a cup
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. drill — the tool
  11. cell — a phone
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. wake — a trail
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. rule — government
  18. can — a tin
  19. cell — in biology
  20. drill — a practice
  21. can — a tin
  22. rule — a law
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. can — to be able to

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