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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. bank — for money
  3. last — to go on
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. scale — in music
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. prune — to trim
  10. fall — to drop
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. fall — to drop
  13. last — finally
  14. pound — a weight
  15. bank — of a river
  16. scale — size or range
  17. face — to confront
  18. face — part of the head
  19. last — final
  20. prune — to trim
  21. face — to point toward
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. bank — for money
  24. fall — the season

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