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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: snap · wound · pound · cabinet · safe · rule · trunk · bear

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. snap — to click
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. rule — government
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. bear — the animal
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. wound — an injury
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. rule — a law
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. pound — a weight
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. wound — an injury

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