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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 120 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: spring · safe · bay · wound · fall · pound · pitcher · object

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. wound — an injury
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. object — an aim
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. pound — a weight
  9. object — a thing
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. spring — of water
  14. fall — the season
  15. object — to protest
  16. spring — a coil
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. spring — the season
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — to drop
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  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