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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: lash · face · file · pound · ground · safe

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. face — to confront
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. ground — the earth
  8. file — a document
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. face — to point toward
  11. pound — a weight
  12. ground — crushed
  13. face — part of the head
  14. file — a line of people
  15. file — a tool
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. ground — a position

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