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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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Word bank
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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 · sharp · safe · date · chest · stand · bound · band

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. chest — a box
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. date — the fruit
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bound — tied together
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. sharp — clever
  11. bound — certain
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. chest — of your body
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. stand — to bear
  19. band — a music group
  20. band — a ring
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. pound — a weight
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. chest — of your body

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