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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  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 — a strongbox
  2. pound — a weight
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. mate — to breed
  7. file — a document
  8. kid — child
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. file — a tool
  11. mate — a partner
  12. suit — in cards
  13. rock — a stone
  14. mate — a friend
  15. file — a line of people
  16. rock — music
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. suit — to fit
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. suit — clothes
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. mine — for digging
  23. kid — to tease
  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