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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: tear · pound · hand · firm · court · safe · row · temple

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. row — to paddle
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. tear — from crying
  7. hand — help
  8. pound — a weight
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. court — of a king
  11. tear — from crying
  12. hand — in cards
  13. court — of law
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. row — a line
  19. court — for sport
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. tear — to rip
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. firm — steady
  24. firm — decided

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