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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: pound · cabinet · kid · wind · safe · ruler

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. wind — moving air
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. kid — child
  8. pound — a weight
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. kid — to tease
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. wind — moving air
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. wind — to turn a key

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