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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 120 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 · bay · rule · safe · firm · shower

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. rule — government
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. pound — a weight
  7. firm — a company
  8. firm — steady
  9. rule — a law
  10. shower — rain
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. shower — to wash
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. firm — decided

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