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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. ball — a dance
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. foot — a measure
  5. face — part of the head
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. face — to confront
  8. track — to keep track
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. track — a song
  11. track — a path
  12. snap — to click
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. face — to point toward
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. pound — a weight
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. ball — a great time
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. foot — the bottom

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