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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. chest — of your body
  5. mate — to breed
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. clip — to cut
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. chest — of your body
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. board — a committee
  12. clip — a video
  13. pound — a weight
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. mate — a partner
  17. clip — for paper
  18. mate — a friend
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. board — to get on
  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