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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 116 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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  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. safe — out of danger
  2. bound — obliged
  3. shower — to wash
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. cap — a lid
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. pound — a weight
  8. bound — certain
  9. sharp — clever
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. mug — to rob
  12. bound — tied together
  13. cap — a hat
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. cap — of ice
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. mug — a face
  18. mug — a cup
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. shower — rain
  23. nail — for a hammer
  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