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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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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: safe · ground · kid · kick · mouse · can · pound · hand

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. ground — a position
  3. kid — to tease
  4. ground — the earth
  5. can — a tin
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. hand — in cards
  8. kick — in football
  9. ground — crushed
  10. hand — help
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. can — a tin
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. pound — a weight
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. kid — child
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. pound — to hit hard

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