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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: cap · last · key · leaves · hand · sharp · safe · pound

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. sharp — clever
  4. key — in music
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. cap — of ice
  7. pound — a weight
  8. key — for a lock
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. hand — help
  11. hand — in cards
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. last — finally
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. last — final
  16. cap — a lid
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. cap — a hat
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. key — the most important part
  21. last — to go on
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. sharp — exactly

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