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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: content · safe · capital · date · pound · lean · nail · sharp

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. lean — to bend
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. content — happy
  9. content — the amount
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. sharp — clever
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. capital — money
  19. lean — thin
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. date — the fruit
  22. capital — a city
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. nail — for a hammer

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