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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 116 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: firm · safe · game · pound · snap · lie · court · mark

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. snap — to click
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. firm — decided
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. lie — to recline
  9. mark — a grade
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. firm — a company
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. game — a match
  17. firm — steady
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. court — for sport
  20. game — wild animals
  21. court — of a king
  22. pound — a weight
  23. court — of law
  24. mark — a trace

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