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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: bound · toast · stand · kid · squash · mouse · safe · pound

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. kid — to tease
  7. bound — certain
  8. toast — bread
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. squash — the sport
  12. bound — obliged
  13. stand — to bear
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. pound — a weight
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. kid — child
  21. squash — to crush
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. safe — a strongbox

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