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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  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. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. wound — an injury
  4. pound — a weight
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. row — to paddle
  7. wake — a trail
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. saw — the tool
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. row — a line
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. wound — an injury
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cell — a phone
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. saw — the tool
  23. cell — in biology
  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