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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: hand · safe · roll · pound · object · temple · sharp · foot

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. pound — a weight
  5. roll — a list
  6. foot — a measure
  7. object — an aim
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. hand — help
  17. sharp — clever
  18. object — a thing
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. roll — a cake
  22. hand — in cards
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. safe — a strongbox

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