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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  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. cell — a phone
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. row — a line
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. pound — a weight
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. row — to paddle
  9. cell — in biology
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. current — happening now
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. current — electric
  22. bark — to shout
  23. current — of water
  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