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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. ground — crushed
  5. ball — a dance
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. spell — letters
  8. ground — a position
  9. spell — a short time
  10. lean — to bend
  11. lean — thin
  12. ground — the earth
  13. bank — for money
  14. file — a tool
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. pound — a weight
  17. file — a document
  18. file — a line of people
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. ball — a great time
  21. bank — of a river
  22. bank — for money
  23. spell — magic
  24. lean — to rest against

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