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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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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: row · roll · safe · last · can · ruler · pound · land

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. pound — a weight
  4. land — to come down
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. land — ground
  7. last — final
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — a tin
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. row — a line
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. last — to go on
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. last — finally
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. roll — a cake
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. land — a country
  23. can — to be able to
  24. row — to paddle

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