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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: ground · pound · branch · pass · rash · rule · safe · snap

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. snap — to click
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. pass — a permit
  7. ground — a position
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. rule — a law
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. branch — a division
  15. ground — crushed
  16. rash — hasty
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. rash — a series
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. rule — government
  23. ground — the earth
  24. pound — a weight

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