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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 · file · mug · key · bat · stick · safe · rest

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. rest — a break
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. file — a tool
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. key — in music
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. file — a line of people
  12. key — for a lock
  13. key — the most important part
  14. file — a document
  15. mug — a face
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. pound — a weight
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. mug — a cup
  21. bat — the animal
  22. mug — to rob
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — what's left

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