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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: jam · pound · staff · safe · lie · cap · squash · last

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. staff — employees
  3. cap — of ice
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. cap — a lid
  8. cap — a hat
  9. staff — a stick
  10. squash — the sport
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. pound — a weight
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. squash — to crush
  17. last — finally
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. last — final
  20. lie — to recline
  21. staff — employees
  22. last — to go on
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. pound — for dogs

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