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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 116 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: mug · capital · row · pound · shower · sharp · bound · safe

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. row — to paddle
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. mug — a face
  7. bound — certain
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. row — a line
  10. sharp — clever
  11. mug — a cup
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. bound — obliged
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. mug — to rob
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. capital — a city
  18. pound — a weight
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. capital — money
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. shower — to wash
  23. bound — tied together
  24. shower — rain

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