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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: safe · bound · face · pound · cell · lash · swing · pit

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. face — part of the head
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. cell — a phone
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. bound — certain
  7. face — to point toward
  8. bound — obliged
  9. swing — in golf
  10. pound — a weight
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. face — to confront
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. pit — a hole
  16. swing — to play on
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. swing — music
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. bound — tied together
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. cell — in biology
  24. pit — in a race

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