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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: pound · pit · cabinet · safe · wind · swing · cell · prune

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. pound — a weight
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. wind — moving air
  6. swing — to play on
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. wind — moving air
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. prune — to trim
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. swing — music
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. pit — in a race
  19. cell — a phone
  20. cell — in biology
  21. swing — in golf
  22. pit — a hole
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. cell — in a prison

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